rw: R API to the 'rw' Node.js CLI for webR — rw-package • rw

The rw package provides an R interface to run R code in a sandboxed WebAssembly (Wasm) environment via Node.js and webR. The package wraps the rw CLI tool, enabling secure evaluation of untrusted R code isolated from the host system.

Main R functions

rw_do_call(): Call an R function with argument in webR and return the result. Works similarly to do.call().

Low-level functions for calling 'rw'

rw(): Run R code with full control over prologue/epilogue, bindings, and sandboxing
rw_source(): Source R scripts

Utility functions

rw_r_libs_user(): Get the R package library path for webR
rw_version(), rw_webr_version(), rw_r_version(): Version information
rw_config(): Get detailed webR configuration
rw_available(): Check if the rw CLI is available

Sandboxing model

The security model uses webR's isolation with controlled host directory access:

Main code: Runs without access to the stage directory
Prologue/Epilogue code: Has access to stage for data transfer
binds: Host directories mounted and available to all phases
r_libs: Mounted R package library available to all phases

Environment variables

RW_BIN: Path to the rw CLI executable
RW_R_LIBS_USER: Default R library path for webR
RW_STAGE: Default staging directory

See also

Useful links:

https://github.com/futureverse/rw/tree/develop/r
Report bugs at https://github.com/futureverse/rw/issues

Author

Maintainer: Henrik Bengtsson henrikb@braju.com [copyright holder]

Other contributors:

R Consortium (ROR) [funder]