How to make the output of the Kable() command appear in Rstudio Viewer?

Question

I’m trying to get a Latex table with the knitr package R, but I’m not getting the output to appear on Rstudio Viewer.

For example, when trying to convert head(mtcars):

kable(mtcars, "latex")

I get an answer:

\begin{tabular}{l|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r}
\hline
  & mpg & cyl & disp & hp & drat & wt & qsec & vs & am & gear & carb\\
\hline
Mazda RX4 & 21.0 & 6 & 160.0 & 110 & 3.90 & 2.620 & 16.46 & 0 & 1 & 4 & 4\\
\hline
Mazda RX4 Wag & 21.0 & 6 & 160.0 & 110 & 3.90 & 2.875 & 17.02 & 0 & 1 & 4 & 4\\
\hline
Datsun 710 & 22.8 & 4 & 108.0 & 93 & 3.85 & 2.320 & 18.61 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 1\\
\hline
Hornet 4 Drive & 21.4 & 6 & 258.0 & 110 & 3.08 & 3.215 & 19.44 & 1 & 0 & 3 & 1\\
\hline
Hornet Sportabout & 18.7 & 8 & 360.0 & 175 & 3.15 & 3.440 & 17.02 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 2\\
\hline
Valiant & 18.1 & 6 & 225.0 & 105 & 2.76 & 3.460 & 20.22 & 1 & 0 & 3 & 1\\
\hline
Duster 360 & 14.3 & 8 & 360.0 & 245 & 3.21 & 3.570 & 15.84 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 4\\
\hline
Merc 240D & 24.4 & 4 & 146.7 & 62 & 3.69 & 3.190 & 20.00 & 1 & 0 & 4 & 2\\
\hline
Merc 230 & 22.8 & 4 & 140.8 & 95 & 3.92 & 3.150 & 22.90 & 1 & 0 & 4 & 2\\
\hline
Merc 280 & 19.2 & 6 & 167.6 & 123 & 3.92 & 3.440 & 18.30 & 1 & 0 & 4 & 4\\
\hline
Merc 280C & 17.8 & 6 & 167.6 & 123 & 3.92 & 3.440 & 18.90 & 1 & 0 & 4 & 4\\
\hline
Merc 450SE & 16.4 & 8 & 275.8 & 180 & 3.07 & 4.070 & 17.40 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 3\\
\hline
Merc 450SL & 17.3 & 8 & 275.8 & 180 & 3.07 & 3.730 & 17.60 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 3\\
\hline
Merc 450SLC & 15.2 & 8 & 275.8 & 180 & 3.07 & 3.780 & 18.00 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 3\\
\hline
Cadillac Fleetwood & 10.4 & 8 & 472.0 & 205 & 2.93 & 5.250 & 17.98 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 4\\
\hline
Lincoln Continental & 10.4 & 8 & 460.0 & 215 & 3.00 & 5.424 & 17.82 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 4\\
\hline
Chrysler Imperial & 14.7 & 8 & 440.0 & 230 & 3.23 & 5.345 & 17.42 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 4\\
\hline
Fiat 128 & 32.4 & 4 & 78.7 & 66 & 4.08 & 2.200 & 19.47 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 1\\
\hline
Honda Civic & 30.4 & 4 & 75.7 & 52 & 4.93 & 1.615 & 18.52 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 2\\
\hline
Toyota Corolla & 33.9 & 4 & 71.1 & 65 & 4.22 & 1.835 & 19.90 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 1\\
\hline
Toyota Corona & 21.5 & 4 & 120.1 & 97 & 3.70 & 2.465 & 20.01 & 1 & 0 & 3 & 1\\
\hline
Dodge Challenger & 15.5 & 8 & 318.0 & 150 & 2.76 & 3.520 & 16.87 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 2\\
\hline
AMC Javelin & 15.2 & 8 & 304.0 & 150 & 3.15 & 3.435 & 17.30 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 2\\
\hline
Camaro Z28 & 13.3 & 8 & 350.0 & 245 & 3.73 & 3.840 & 15.41 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 4\\
\hline
Pontiac Firebird & 19.2 & 8 & 400.0 & 175 & 3.08 & 3.845 & 17.05 & 0 & 0 & 3 & 2\\
\hline
Fiat X1-9 & 27.3 & 4 & 79.0 & 66 & 4.08 & 1.935 & 18.90 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 1\\
\hline
Porsche 914-2 & 26.0 & 4 & 120.3 & 91 & 4.43 & 2.140 & 16.70 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 2\\
\hline
Lotus Europa & 30.4 & 4 & 95.1 & 113 & 3.77 & 1.513 & 16.90 & 1 & 1 & 5 & 2\\
\hline
Ford Pantera L & 15.8 & 8 & 351.0 & 264 & 4.22 & 3.170 & 14.50 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 4\\
\hline
Ferrari Dino & 19.7 & 6 & 145.0 & 175 & 3.62 & 2.770 & 15.50 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 6\\
\hline
Maserati Bora & 15.0 & 8 & 301.0 & 335 & 3.54 & 3.570 & 14.60 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 8\\
\hline
Volvo 142E & 21.4 & 4 & 121.0 & 109 & 4.11 & 2.780 & 18.60 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 2\\
\hline
\end{tabular}

But the table doesn’t appear on Viewer. What I’m doing wrong?

Answer 1

The function view_kable below is inspired in this answer of the OS in English.

view_kable <- function(x, format = "latex", ...){
  tab <- if(format == "latex")
    paste(capture.output(knitr::kable(x, ...)), collapse = '\n')
  else
    paste(capture.output(knitr::kable(x, format, ...)), collapse = '\n')
  ext <- switch(format,
                latex = ".tex",
                html = ".html")
  tf <- tempfile(fileext = ext)
  writeLines(tab, tf)
  rstudioapi::viewer(tf)
  invisible(tf)
}

tf <- view_kable(mtcars, format = "latex")
unlink(tf)

tf <- view_kable(mtcars, format = "html")
unlink(tf)