Importing R functions from cloud storage

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1

Hey folks, I’m trying to figure out how to import R functions stored in the cloud. I know we can grab data from shared spreadsheets, but what about actual R code?

Here’s what I want to do:

  1. Write an R function
  2. Save it to a cloud service (like Google Docs)
  3. Share it with a link
  4. Import it into R directly, kinda like using source()

The goal is to access my functions quickly from different computers. Any thoughts on how to make this work?

Here’s a simple function to give you an idea:

quick_stats <- function(data, use_median = TRUE, show_output = TRUE) {
  if (use_median) {
    mid = median(data)
    spread = IQR(data)
  } else {
    mid = mean(data)
    spread = sd(data)
  }
  
  if (show_output) {
    if (use_median) {
      print(paste('Median:', mid, 'IQR:', spread))
    } else {
      print(paste('Mean:', mid, 'SD:', spread))
    }
  }
  
  return(list(center = mid, variation = spread))
}

Thanks for any help!

2

I’ve been in a similar situation, and I found that using an R package hosted on a personal GitHub repository works wonders. It’s not just about storing functions; it’s about organizing and versioning your code effectively.

Here’s what I do:

Create a simple R package structure locally.
Push it to a GitHub repo.
Use devtools::install_github('yourusername/yourpackage') to install it on any machine.

This approach has saved me countless hours. It keeps my functions organized, allows for easy updates, and I can access my custom functions anywhere. Plus, if you’re working with a team, they can easily use your functions too.

It might seem like overkill at first, but trust me, it’s worth the initial setup time. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re effortlessly using your functions across multiple projects and machines.

3

hey Emma, have u tried using gist on github? its pretty neat for sharing small code snippets. u can create a secret gist w/ ur function, get the raw URL, and use something like source(url('your_gist_raw_url')) in R. works like a charm for me when i need to grab my funcs from diff computers!

4

While storing R functions in cloud services like Google Docs isn’t ideal for direct importing, there are better alternatives. Consider using GitHub or GitLab to host your R scripts. These platforms allow version control and easy sharing. You can then use the ‘devtools’ package in R to source functions directly from your repository.

For example:

devtools::source_url('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yourusername/yourrepo/main/functions.R')

This method lets you access your functions from any computer with internet access. It’s more secure and efficient than using cloud storage services not designed for code. Plus, you get the added benefits of version control and collaboration tools built into these platforms.