Sweave is a literate programming system included with R. It makes it possible to create a PDF document containing not just text, but also tables and charts generated from R. The process is automated, so once you've created an Sweave document (which includes both LaTeX text markup and R commands), you can create the formatted text and insert the tables and charts (based on the latest data you have) into the PDF at the appropriate places in a single step.
Sweave can be a little daunting to get started with, but Jeromy Anglim has created three tutorials to get you going. Tutorial 1 shows how to make a document based on data stored in a database. Tutorial 2 shows how to make a series of polished PDF reports in batch mode. And Tutorial 3 shows how to incorporate user input to create "parameterized" reports. Jeromy provides all the source code to recreate the reports and plenty of practical tips (how to use "make", for example), so if you follow along you'll soon be able to automate reports containing tables like this:
and embedded graphics like this:
Be aware though that Sweave doesn't solve every problem: see this list of top 10 annoyances with Sweave from Mario Pineda-Krch.
Jeromy Anglim: Sweave Tutorial 3: Console Input and Output - Multiple Choice Test Analysis
I really like the look of LaTeX tables but I always need to consult my well-worn cheat sheet to figure out how to create a complicated, multi-level table by hand. Maybe one day I can get rid of my LaTeX cheat sheet for good! PDF output seems to be very important to the corporate user of statistical software, since SAS customers at conferences always pick up multiple copies of our "ODS PDF Tip Sheet" to bring back home.
Posted by: Rick Wicklin | December 02, 2010 at 11:52
If you have troubles editing a PDF document, you can use Smart PDF Converter. It's the easiest software I've ever used - it lets you convert files in a couple of clicks only. http://www.pdftodocconverterpro.com
Posted by: John | December 03, 2010 at 09:34