How to knit pdf from rmd script by clicking an executable r file?

Question

Synopsis

I would like to produce a pdf file from an rmd script just by clicking a file / an icon so that my coworkers don\'t exhaust themselves by o

Answer 1

Assuming one has independently installed pandoc on Windows machine (which turned out to be the root of the problem in this case), she can do it in the following manner:

First: make a .R file with the content like below

library(knitr)
library(rmarkdown)
setwd('C:/repos/r_tutorials/executable R files')
knit("RexecKnit.Rmd")

# render the generated markdown file.
render("RexecKnit.md")

Sys.sleep(3)

Second: make a .bat file

Create a .bat file, say "my_bat_file.bat", and include the text below. However, the paths have to be adjusted:

"C:\R\R-3.2.2\bin\x64\R.exe" CMD BATCH --vanilla --slave "C:\path_to_your_file\your_file.R" "C:\path_to_your_file\your_file.Rout"

Third: Instruct Windows Task Scheduler

If the data is updated frequently, one can shedule the Task Scheduler in Windows to repeatedly execute the .bat file once a week at certain time at night, so reports are there in the morning.