Template-Rcpp Package

Overview

The Template-Rcpp package is a template R package that provides a structured foundation for creating R packages with Rcpp modules. This template integrates the CMake build system and includes a convenient setup for running both C++ and R code. Additionally, the package incorporates the catch2 library for simplified unit testing of C++ code.

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Features:

• Rcpp Modules: Easily expose C++ classes and functions to R using Rcpp modules.
• CMake Build System: A modern and flexible build system for building and packaging the C++ code, including cmake files for searching and linking to R and Rcpp.
• Integrated Run Option: Run both C++ and R code from a unified interface.
• Catch2 Testing Framework: Streamlined unit testing of C++ code using the Catch2 testing framework.
• Cach2 Library Integration: Included Catch2 library for efficient and concise C++ code.

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Getting Started

Clone the Repository:

git clone https://github.com/stsds/Template-Rcpp.git

Building and Installing:

./config.sh -t
./clean_build.sh

Run C++ Tests:

cd bin/
ctest -v

Building R Library:

R CMD build .

Installing R Library:

R CMD INSTALL .

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Directory Structure

• src/: Contains C++ source files.
• R/: Contains R code files.
• inst/include/: Header files to be included in the package.
• tests/cpp-tests/: Unit tests using the Catch2 framework.
• tests/R-tests/: Unit tests and examples using the package in R.
• cmake/: Contains all the modules needed for finding and linking to R and Rcpp.
• CMakeLists.txt: CMake configuration file.
• prerequisites/: Contains Catch2 library headers, needed for the unit testing.
• man/: Contains all the documentation needed for the exposed functions and classes in R.

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Bash Scripts Description

• config.sh : Script needed for configuring the package as C++ library.
• clean_build.sh : Script needed for automatically building the library.
• configure : Script needed for configuring the package as R package. This file is automatically called when installing the package in R.
• cleanup : Script needed for deleting all the unnecessary files and directories during the R package build. This file is automatically called when running R CMD build command

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Why Would you use this package skeleton over native Rcpp ?

• The main difference between this skeleton and the native Rcpp skeleton, is that, this package utilizes CMake build system instead of using the native R building system, offering more flexibility and ease in integrating any external library.
• A complete C++ testing environment using Catch2 library. Offering the ability to create a pipeline for efficient testing and development process.
• Fast and easy development process for R package, since you need near to none experience in Rcpp and how to use it.
• The ability to use the package in any C++ project as a separate module.

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This package utilizes the following libraries:

Rcpp: Seamless R and C++ integration. CMake: Cross-platform build system. Catch2: C++ testing framework.

Contributing

If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement, please open an issue or create a pull request on the GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the GPL License - see the LICENSE file for more details.

For a real-life application that utilize this package structure, you can check MPCR Package.