intro-to-reticulate

Using Python in RStudio

Mac & Linux users

You can now use RStudio as an effective Python IDE. To do so, follow these steps after installing miniconda:

1. Install the {reticulate} package: install.packages("reticulate")

2. Install the {png} package (a dependency of reticulate that is not well managed yet): install.packages("png")

3. Find your path to miniconda by typing which python in a terminal (Git Bash on Windows) outside of RStudio

4. Specify that {reticulate} should use the miniconda version of Python in your .Rprofile file:

• type usethis::edit_r_profile() into the R console inside RStudio, and an .Rprofile file from your HOME directory should open in RStudio
• add this to your .Rprofile file: Sys.setenv(RETICULATE_PYTHON = "path_to_miniconda's_python") replacing "path_to_miniconda's_python" with the path to your miniconda Python

1. In terminal type code ~/.bash_profile and add the line export PATH="/opt/miniconda3/bin:$PATH", replacing /opt/miniconda3/bin with the path to the folder containing your miniconda Python (be careful not to include python at the end of this path).

2. Restart R!

3. Start using Python in RStudio by typing reticulate::repl_python() in the R console, or running a line of Python code from a Python script from the RStudio editor by Cntrl + enter. Or by running scripts from the terminal inside RStudio.

Windows users

1. Install the {reticulate} package: install.packages("reticulate")

2. Install the {png} package (a dependency of reticulate that is not well managed yet): install.packages("png")

3. Find your path to miniconda by typing which python in a terminal (Git Bash on Windows) outside of RStudio

4. Specify that {reticulate} should use the miniconda version of Python in your .Rprofile file:

• type usethis::edit_r_profile() into the R console inside RStudio, and an .Rprofile file from your HOME directory should open in RStudio
• add this to your .Rprofile file: Sys.setenv(RETICULATE_PYTHON = "path_to_miniconda's_python") replacing "path_to_miniconda's_python" with the path to your miniconda Python. In Windows, you need \\ instead of a \ to separate the directories, for example my path here would be: C:\\Users\\tiffany.timbers\\miniconda3\\python.exe.

1. Open Global Options in RStudio and in the Terminal sub-menu, select “Custom” as the “New terminals to open with” option, and add the path to GitBash (should be something like C:/Program Files/Git/bin/bash.exe) as the “Custom shell binary” option. Finally set -l (lower case L) as the option for “Custom shell command-line options”.

1. Restart R! Open R and close the terminal tab. Open a new terminal.

1. Start using Python in RStudio by typing reticulate::repl_python() in the R console, or running a line of Python code from a Python script from the RStudio editor by Cntrl + enter. Or by running scripts from the terminal inside RStudio.

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