[R] It is possible to use a Shell command inside a R script?

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 8/24/2007 8:05 AM, Alberto Monteiro wrote:
> Ronaldo Reis Junior wrote:
>> 
>> It is possible to use a shell command inside a R script?
>> 
>> I'm write a R script and I like to put somes shell commands inside 
>> to R. Somethink like: convert fig01.png fig01.xpm or sed ..., etc.
>> 
>> It is possible? How?
>> 
> ?system
> 
> BTW, I found that using things directly in R is _much_
> slower than creating a batch file and then running it.
> 
> For example, I had a directory with misnamed mp3 files,
> and I wanted to use R to rename and copy them
> to another directory. I tried to use file.copy, but it 
> took too much time. Writing a batch file and then running
> it was much faster.

Since you say "batch file" I assume you're on Windows.  If that's the 
case, then file.rename() can rename and move a file to a new directory, 
as long as it's on the same drive.  That should be as quick as a batch file.

Duncan Murdoch