Overview of Calling Functions in the R Language

R is a freely available language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. Like the SAS/IML language, the R language has features suitable for developers of statistical algorithms: the ability to manipulate matrices and vectors, a large number of built-in functions for computing statistical quantities, and the capability to extend the basic function library by writing user-defined functions. There are also a large number of user-contributed packages in R that implement specialized computations.

In 2009, the SAS/IML Studio application introduced a mechanism for calling R functions from programs written in the IMLPlus language. As of SAS/IML 9.22, this feature is available in PROC IML. This chapter shows you how to call R functions from PROC IML by using the SUBMIT and ENDSUBMIT statements.

This chapter describes how to configure the SAS system so that you can call functions in the R language. The chapter also decribes how to do the following:

• transfer data to R

• call R functions from PROC IML

• transfer the results from R to a number of SAS data structures