[R] Batch mode problem: figure margins too large (code corrected for word wrap)

[Uwe Ligges]

I'd like to recommend to open the pdf() device (and to plot in) 
directly. There is no reason to use the windows() device in BATCH mode, 
if you want to produce PDF.


Lapointe, Pierre wrote:
> First of all, I apologize for the triple post, but I did not see that the
> word wrap on the r-help list site would render my code unusable. So here it
> is again.  Hoping that this time it will work if you cut and paste it in
> your Rgui.
> 
> I have a program that works well in Rgui but that does not work in a batch
> file (Execution halted).
> 
> Here's the code (it will work on your R, but you need internet access
> through R as it will download a table from a US gov site).
> 
> #Code Start
> download.file("http://www.cftc.gov/files/dea/history/deacot2005.zip",
> "c:/deacot2005.zip", "internal", quiet = FALSE, mode = "wb",cacheOK = TRUE)
> unzipped<-zip.file.extract("c:/annual.txt", zipname = "deacot2005.zip")
> #Unzip
> data <-read.table(unzipped, header=TRUE, sep=',')
> windows(height=11,width=8.5)

delete windows() and insert:

pdf(file="c:/CFTC.pdf",height=10,width=8,paper="letter")


> z <- layout(matrix(c(1:8), 4,2, byrow = TRUE))
> for (i in 1:8) {  #loop to fill layout
> tbonds<-data[data$'Market.and.Exchange.Names'==
> "U.S. TREASURY BONDS - CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE ",] #choose only T-Bonds
> ordered<-tbonds[order(tbonds[,3]),]    #order by date
> longb<-ordered[,c(3,9)]
> longb[,1]<-as.Date(longb[,1],format="%Y%m%d") #to transform to date format
> par(mar=c(2.5, 3.5, 2, 4.5)) #need this par for mtext
> plot(longb,type="l",las=1,xlab="",ylab="",bty="l",cex.axis=0.9)
> end<-(longb)[nrow(ordered),]  #mtext text
> end0<-(longb)[nrow(ordered)-1,]   #mtext text
> now<- paste(' Last:',end[,2],"\n",'Prev:',end0[,2])    #mtext text
> mtext(now,side=4, las=2,adj=0,padj=0.5,cex=0.5) #mtext text
> }
> dev.print(pdf, file="c:/CFTC.pdf",height=10,width=8,paper="letter")
> #Code end


delete dev.print and insert dev.off()

[BTW: your code is almost unreadable, please try to format it before 
posting, and please read documentation on devices]

Uwe Ligges



> As you can see, I need a special par(mar) to make room for the margin text
> (mtext).
> 
> When I run this program through a batch file I get this message :
> 
> ...
> + longb<-ordered[,c(3,9)]
> + longb[,1]<-as.Date(longb[,1],format="%Y%m%d") #to transform to date format
> + par(mar=c(2.5, 3.5, 2, 4.5)) #need this par for mtext
> + plot(longb,type="l",las=1,xlab="",ylab="",bty="l",cex.axis=0.9)
> + end<-(longb)[nrow(ordered),]  #mtext text
> + end0<-(longb)[nrow(ordered)-1,]   #mtext text
> + now<- paste(' Last:',end[,2],"\n",'Prev:',end0[,2])    #mtext text
> + mtext(now,side=4, las=2,adj=0,padj=0.5,cex=0.5) #mtext text
> + }
> Error in plot.new() : figure margins too large
> Execution halted
> 
> I tried to remove the windows(height=11,width=8.5) as I don't need it in
> batch mode, but it prevented the PDF creation as it  " can only print from
> screen device".
> 
> dev.print(pdf, file="c:/CFTC.pdf",height=10,width=8,paper="letter")
> Error in dev.print(pdf, file = "c:/CFTC.pdf", height = 10, width = 8,  : 
> 	can only print from screen device
> Execution halted
> 
> Here's what I have in my windows batch file
> 
> Set TZ=GMT
> PATH C:\Program Files\R\rw2010\bin
> Rterm --internet2 --no-restore --no-save <problem.R> result.txt 2>&1
> 
> I'm on win2k,
> 
> 
>>version
> 
>          _              
> platform i386-pc-mingw32
> arch     i386           
> os       mingw32        
> system   i386, mingw32  
> status   Patched        
> major    2              
> minor    1.0            
> year     2005           
> month    05             
> day      09             
> language R    
> 
> Be nice with me.  I've been a R user for only 2 weeks.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Pierre Lapointe
> Assistant Market Strategist
> National Bank Financial
> 
> 
> 
> 
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