This function is for the installation and loading of R packages.. If an R package is not installed, the function will install it using the Austrian CRAN mirror (you can change that), and if a package is already installed, it will be loaded.

pload

#################################################################################################
# title         : pload.R
# purpose       : Install and load uninstalled packages, or load installed ones.
# author        : Abdulhakim Abdi (@HakimAbdi)
# input         : Package name in quotes
# output        : Installation and loading of uninstalled packages, or loading of installed ones.
#################################################################################################

pload <- function(x){
  if(x %in% rownames(installed.packages()))
    #if (require(x,character.only = TRUE))
    require(x,character.only = TRUE)
  else { 
    install.packages(x,dep=TRUE, repos="http://cran.at.r-project.org/")
    require(x,character.only = TRUE)
  } 
}

## Example:
# pload("raster")
# pload("maptools")