I am running R version 2.15.3 with RStudio version 0.97.312. I have one script that reads my data from various sources and creates several data.tables. I then have another r script which uses the data.tables created in the first script. I wanted to turn the second script into a R markdown script so that the results of analysis can be outputted as a report.

I do not know the purpose of read_chunk, as opposed to source. My read_chunk is not working, but source is working. With either instance I do not get to see the objects in my workspace panel of RStudio.

Please explain the difference between read_chunk and source? Why would I use one or the other? Why will my .Rmd script not work

Here is ridiculously simplified sample

It does not work. I get the following message

Error: object 'z' not found

Two simple files...

test of source to rmd.R

x <- 1:10
y <- 3:4
z <- x*y

testing source.Rmd

Can I run another script from Rmd
========================================================

Testing if I can run "test of source to rmd.R"

```{r first part}
require(knitr)
read_chunk("test of source to rmd.R")
a <- z-1000
a
```

The above worked only if I replaced "read_chunk" with "source". I 
can use the vectors outside of the code chunk as in inline usage. 
So here I will tell you that the first number is `r a[1]`. The most 
interesting thing is that I cannot see the variables in RStudio 
workspace but it must be there somewhere.
r knitr rstudio
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