R is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. It ranks 15th in TIOBE Index for February 2017.

Processing.py helps python users to get in touch with visual arts easily and spreads the concept of processing foundation. Processing.R is a good way to expand the user base for processing and reduce learning curve for R users. It is win-win.

I have implemented a prototype: github.com/gaocegege/Processing.R in Sep 2016. It is a demo for R mode, and GSoC is a good chance to make it usable and contribute to processing foundation.

Welcome for any suggestions and opinions and thanks for your browsing :)

About Me

I’m a freshman in a master’s program in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, my own research orientation is container-based OS virtualization (COS virtualization), so I have contributed to many container-based projects such as docker, kubernetes, runc and so on. I’m a heavy user of GitHub and know the workflow in GitHub.

GitHub: github.com/gaocegege

1. Processing.R mode is installed in PDE.
2. The R mode includes a resource ( renjin-script-engine.jar / renjin-script-engine-0.8.2413-jar-with-dependencies.jar)
3. This could be used to run R in a Java mode sketch.

I want to write an example sketch in Java mode demonstrating how to import resources from Processing.R mode and use them to integrate an R process into a Java mode sketch. The Java sketch would include a line like this:

import org.renjin.sexp.*

However this does not work because the jars of Processing.R mode are not in the Java mode path.

Is there a workaround?

Partial solutions I can think of:

1. include renjin-script-engine.jar again in the RinJava.pde example sketch path. However this needs to be copied to every new sketch -- and the user already had this jar installed in their system in the Processing.R mode!
2. write a separate library for PDE Contributions Manager called "RinJava" that includes renjin-script-engine.jar, and have users install the library and import it to a Java sketch. This is better, but it still requires two installs of the same jar, and it doesn't allow the Java crossover example to be distributed directly with the R mode.
3. use dark magic to place renjin-script-engine.jar directly in the existing Java mode, perhaps during Processing.R install. This seems like a bad idea, because (among other potential problems) any update to Processing(Java mode) could remove the change.

Ideally there would be a way to access Processing.R mode jars from a Java mode sketch -- then if the R mode is installed, a Java sketch could also use it.

Any suggestions?

Feel free to have a try :)