RGG: a general GUI Framework for R scripts.
BACKGROUND
R is the leading open source statistics software with a vast number of biostatistical and bioinformatical analysis packages. To exploit the advantages of R, extensive scripting/programming skills are required.


RESULTS
We have developed a software tool called R GUI Generator (RGG) which enables the easy generation of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for the programming language R by adding a few Extensible Markup Language (XML) - tags. RGG consists of an XML-based GUI definition language and a Java-based GUI engine. GUIs are generated in runtime from defined GUI tags that are embedded into the R script. User-GUI input is returned to the R code and replaces the XML-tags. RGG files can be developed using any text editor. The current version of RGG is available as a stand-alone software (RGGRunner) and as a plug-in for JGR.


CONCLUSIONS
RGG is a general GUI framework for R that has the potential to introduce R statistics (R packages, built-in functions and scripts) to users with limited programming skills and helps to bridge the gap between R developers and GUI-dependent users. RGG aims to abstract the GUI development from individual GUI toolkits by using an XML-based GUI definition language. Thus RGG can be easily integrated in any software. The RGG project further includes the development of a web-based repository for RGG-GUIs. RGG is an open source project licensed under the Lesser General Public License (LGPL) and can be downloaded freely at (http://rgg.r-forge.r-project.org).
Visne
Ilhami
I
Austrian Research Centers GmbH, ARC, Molecular Diagnostics, Seibersdorf, Austria. ilhami.visne@arcs.ac.at
Dilaveroglu
Erkan
E
Vierlinger
Klemens
K
Lauss
Martin
M
Yildiz
Ahmet
A
Weinhaeusel
Andreas
A
Noehammer
Christa
C
Leisch
Friedrich
F
Kriegner
Albert
A
D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D011381:Programming Languages; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface