Hello,
Q/ Is it possible to create a DBMS connection automatically on startup of R? (Making sure of course that the db server has been started...)
I am running MySQL on Mac OS X 10.4.2 with R2.4.1.

I have tried to write a function using the RMySQL commands (below) and place them in .First of .RProfile:

drv <- dbDriver("MySQL")
dbcon <- dbConnect(drv, {other parameters present in my.cnf file} dbname="mydbName")

DOES create a connection when entered into my R console individually but NOT when I place them in a function, i.e.,

condb <- function() {
	drv <- dbDriver("MySQL")
	dbcon <- dbConnect(drv, dbname="mydbName")
	dbGetInfo(db)
	}

When the function is called, the dbGetInfo(dbcon) does return connection info but no connection object is present.

I would be ver grateful for any guidance on where I have gone wrong. Thank you.

Mark Ruddy
PhD student
Geography Dept., Royal Holloway (University of London)
Egham, UK.


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