deployR: deployR Function
In MicroStrategyR: MicroStrategyR Package

Description Usage Details References Examples

deployR is a utility that prepares an R Script for execution by MicroStrategy. It captures all the information required to properly execute the R Script into a comment block added to the beginning of the script.

  deployR()

This function launches a user interface which allows the user to open an R Script and capture its “signature”, the nature of inputs and outputs along with other information about how the R analytic should be executed.

The deployR menu bar has the following functions:

Open: Browse to choose the R Script you want to deploy.
Preview: Preview the header block to be added to the top of the script. You'll also be given the option to save as well.
Save: Saves the header block to the R Script
Help: Opens the on-line help
About: Provides details about the deployR utility, including the version
Quit: Exits the utility

To get started, click the Open button at the upper left to open your R script.

After you open your R script, the deployR utility parses the script to identify all potential variables.

If this script contains the MicroStrategy header block at the top then that information will be used to configure the utility and any variables not identified will appear in the Unused Variables column.
On the other hand, if there is no MicroStrategy header block, the deployR utility attempts to determine whether a variable is an Input or an Output based on the first occurrence of that variable in the script. If the variable's first occurrence assigns it a value, it is considered an output; otherwise, it is designated as an input.
For new variables, the default Data Type is Numeric and the default Parameter Type is Vector.

The Use R Script Folder checkbox controls whether the path used to open the script will be used, or if the R Scripts folder will be used.

Next, modify the definition each variable as required to match the function's logic, by draging-and-droping variables to place them in the appropriate columns:

Unused Variables are variables that appear in the R script but are not passed between MicroStraegy and R as either inputs, outputs or parameters. The order of unused variables does not affect the R script execution.
Input indicates data imported into R from MicroStrategy. The order of inputs, from top to bottom, determines the order of arguments passed in from MicroStrategy, from left to right.
Parameter allows data to be passed as one of the various function parameters available for passing scalar values from MicroStratregy to R. These function parameters include booleans, numbers, and strings. Parameters are typically used for values that are changed infrequently or values that are not determined from other metrics. Use the Parameter drop-down list to specify which parameter to use. Each parameter can only be used for one variable. The order of parameters does not affect the R script execution.
Output indicates data returned from R to MicroStrategy. If there is more than one output, the first output is considered the default output. Beyond that, the order of outputs does not affect the signature.

Set the Data Type of each variable to one of the following options:

Numeric indicates variables that contain numbers.
String indicates variables that contain text.
Default indicates that the data type defined by MicroStrategy should be used. This setting can be used for inputs only.

Set the Parameter Type of each variable to one of the following options:

Vector indicates a variable that contains one or more values.
Scalar indicates a that variable contains only one value.

If one or more of the variables form a repeated argument, set the Repeat Count to match the number of repeat arguments. This option identifies an input that can vary in quantity; such variables are known as repeated arguments because they represent a varying number of variables. The Repeat Count value specifies how many of variables are repeated, counting back from the last variable. These variables always occur at the end of the list of arguments. These variables will appear in the Inputs column with an asterisk (*). Examples include:

A predictive analytical function supports one target variable Y (the dependent variable) and an indeterminate number of explanatory variables X (independent variables). Establish this configuration by setting Y as the first variable, setting X as the second variable, and setting Repeat Count to 1. The deployR R Analytic Deploer utility will understand that Y is the first argument passed into the function, followed by one or more X variables.
A predictive analytical function supports one target variable Y (the dependent variable) and an indeterminate number of explanatory, independent variable pairs, X1 and X2, with X1 as numeric identifier for an item and X2 as its text description. By configuring Y as the first input, X1 as the second, X2 as the third, and setting the Repeat Count to 2, this defines that Y is the first argument and there can be one or more pairs of X1 and X2 variables passed into the R script.
NOTE: Each individual repeated variable must be of the same data type, either string or numeric. If default is selected, the data type is determined by the first occurrence.

The Metric Specification section contains the following options:

Nulls Allowed controls whether records containing null values are to be passed in as inputs to your analytic. By default this option is selected. If unselected, all records containing null values are eliminated from the analysis
Check Input Count controls whether MicroStrategy ensures that the number of inputs to the metric matches exactly with the number of inputs specified in the function's signature. By default, the option is selected. If selected and the number of inputs is different, a specific warning message will be returned to the user. If unchecked and the number of inputs is different, the script execution will attempt to proceed.
Enable Sort By controls the sorting of records before being passed to R. By default, the option is selected. If this option is selected, the first input must be a vector, since the default behavior sorts records in ascending order by the first input. To specify a particular sorting criterion, you can specify the Sort By value in the field below the check box. If this option is cleared, the order of records passed into R is determined by MicroStrategy automatically.
Specify Working Directory allows you to specify a working directory for R. By default, this option is cleared. To select a working directory select the check box and specify a working directory in the field below the check box. If this option is selected, MicroStrategy does not alter R's working directory, which is otherwise determined by R.
Output Variable allows the user to control which output is returned to MicroStrategy. The first output is the default and does not need to be specified in the metric expression.

After you have configured the variables and specified the metric options, you can save the analytic's signature to the R script by clicking the Save button. Alternatively, you can use the Preview button to review the changes before saving.

Finally, after configuring your variables, saving the signature to your script and specifying the metric options, the R Analytic Deployer provides you with the metric expression for your analytic. The Metric Expression section at the bottom-right of the dialog shows the metric expression that defines how MicroStrategy interacts with your function. Click the Copy to Clipboard button and you're ready to paste this metric expression into any MicroStrategy Metric Editor (Desktop, Web and Visual Insight).

MicroStrategyR. http://RIntegrationPack.codeplex.com/.