Initialize Python environment for iRfcb

Checks if Python is already available via reticulate, otherwise tries to use or create a virtual environment. Required for reading and writing MATLAB .mat files.

Usage

init_python_env(venv_path = NULL)

Arguments

venv_path

Optional path to virtual environment. If NULL (default), uses a venv folder in the current working directory.

Value

TRUE if Python is available, FALSE otherwise

Details

The resolution order is: 1. If Python is already configured via reticulate, use it directly (installs scipy if missing). 2. If venv_path is provided and the virtual environment exists, activate it. 3. If venv_path is provided but does not exist, create it via ifcb_py_install. 4. If venv_path is NULL, default to ./venv in the current working directory for steps 2–3.

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
# Initialize with default venv path (./venv)
success <- init_python_env()

# Initialize with custom venv path
success <- init_python_env("/path/to/my/venv")

if (success) {
  message("Python ready for MAT file operations")
}
} # }