reticulate – R Interface to Python

The reticulate package provides a comprehensive set of tools for interoperability between Python and R.

The package includes facilities for:

• Calling Python from R in a variety of ways including R Markdown, sourcing Python scripts, importing Python modules, and using Python interactively within an R session.
• Translation between R and Python objects (for example, between R and Pandas data frames, or between R matrices and NumPy arrays).
• Flexible binding to different versions of Python including virtual environments and Conda environments.

reticulate embeds a Python session within your R session, enabling seamless, high-performance interoperability. If you are an R developer that uses Python for some of your work or a member of data science team that uses both languages, reticulate can dramatically streamline your workflow.

Features include:

• Offers different ways to integrate Python code into R projects:
  • Python in R Markdown — A new Python language engine for R Markdown that supports bi-directional communication between R and Python (R chunks can access Python objects and vice-versa):
    • Run Python chunks in a single Python session embedded within your R session (shared variables/state between Python chunks).
    • Printing of Python output, including graphical output from matplotlib.
    • Access to objects created within Python chunks from R using the py object (e.g. py$x would access an x variable created within Python from R).
    • Access to objects created within R chunks from Python using the r object (e.g. r.x would access to x variable created within R from Python)
  • Importing Python modules — The import() function enables you to import any Python module and call it’s functions directly from R.
  • Sourcing Python scripts — The source_python() function enables you to source a Python script the same way you would source() an R script (Python functions and objects defined within the script become directly available to the R session).
  • Python REPL — The repl_python() function creates an interactive Python console within R. Objects you create within Python are available to your R session (and vice-versa).

Website: rstudio.github.io/reticulate
Support: GitHub Code Repository
Developer: jjallaire, Tomasz Kalinowski, Kevin Ushey, and other contributors
License: Apache License 2.0

reticulate is written in R. Learn R with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

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