ESS (R) layer

Table of ContentsClose

1. Description
- 1.1. Features:
2. Install
3. Options
4. Key bindings

1. Description

This layer adds support for statistical programming languages to Spacemacs.

1.1. Features:

Syntax highlighting
Auto-completion
Syntax-checking via lintr
Additional data viewer for R via ess-R-data-view
Support for Org-Babel
Showing of inline help for R constructs
Repl support via R terminal
Support for S, SAS and R
Much more via the ESS Project

2. Install

2.1. Layer

To use this configuration layer, add it to your ~/.spacemacs. You will need to add ess to the existing dotspacemacs-configuration-layers list in this file.

2.2. Linting

Install lintr library via the R terminal to enable syntax checking. To do so start the R terminal and type below code.

install.packages("lintr")

2.3. LSP

This backend uses an external server to provide the various IDE integrations and a more modern UI integration in spacemacs.

It requires installing the external server via:

install.packages('languageserver')

Enable the lsp layer to activate this backend as well as setting the layer variable ess-r-backend:

(ess :variables ess-r-backend 'lsp)

3. Options

Use a key binding to insert <-:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((ess :variables
                                                       ess-assign-key "\M--")))

4. Key bindings

4.1. Inferior REPL process

Send code to inferior process with these commands:

Key binding	Description
~SPC m '~	start REPL
~SPC m ,~	send region, current function, or paragraph and step
`SPC m s i`	start REPL
`SPC m s s`	switch between file and REPL
`SPC m s S`	switch the process associate with file
`SPC m s b`	send buffer and keep code buffer focused
`SPC m s B`	send buffer and switch to REPL in insert mode
`SPC m s d`	send region or line and step
`SPC m s D`	send function or paragraph and step
`SPC m s f`	send function and keep code buffer focused
`SPC m s F`	send function and focus REPL
`SPC m s l`	send line and keep code buffer focused
`SPC m s L`	send line and focus REPL
`SPC m s Q`	quit REPL
`SPC m s r`	send region and keep code buffer focused
`SPC m s R`	send region and focus REPL

4.2. Help

Get help and helpers for inspecting objects at point are available in R buffers only.

Key binding	Description
`SPC m h a`	help apropos
`SPC m h d`	display help on object
`SPC m h e`	describe object
`SPC m h h`	display help on object
`SPC m h i`	display index for package
`SPC m h m`	manual lookup
`SPC m h o`	display demos
`SPC m h p`	view data under point using [ess-R-data-view][ess-R-data-view]
`SPC m h r`	lookup reference
`SPC m h t`	view table using [ess-R-data-view][ess-R-data-view]
`SPC m h v`	display vignettes
`SPC m h w`	help web search
`C-j`	next item in REPL history
`C-k`	previous item in REPL history

4.3. More interaction with the REPL

Helpers that provide further interaction with the REPL.

Key binding	Description
`SPC m E /`	set working directory
`SPC m E TAB`	install package
`SPC m E d`	edit object source or dump() object into a new buffer
`SPC m E e`	execute a command in the ESS process
`SPC m E i`	install package
`SPC m E l`	load installed package
`SPC m E r`	reload ESS process
`SPC m E s`	set source style
`SPC m E t`	build tags for directory
`SPC m E w`	set "width" option

4.4. R devtools

Interaction with the R devtools package.

Key binding	Description
`SPC m D TAB`	interface for `devtools::install()`
`SPC m D a`	ask for a devtools command and runs it
`SPC m D c`	interface for `devtools::check()`
`SPC m D d`	interface for `devtools::document()`
`SPC m D i`	interface for `devtools::install()`
`SPC m D l`	interface for `devtools::load_all()`
`SPC m D r`	interface for `devtools::revdep_check()`
`SPC m D s`	set a package for ESS r-package commands
`SPC m D t`	interface for `devtools::tests()`
`SPC m D u`	interface for `devtools::unload()`

4.5. Debugging

Tools for debugging

Key binding	Description
`SPC m d ?`	`ess-tracebug-show-help`
SPC m d `	show traceback and last error message
`SPC m d \~`	display call current call stack
`SPC m d b`	set breakpoint
`SPC m d B`	set conditional breakpoint
`SPC m d d`	set debugging flag for function
`SPC m d e`	toggle the `on-error` action
`SPC m d i`	jump to point where the last debugger or traceback event occurred
`SPC m d k`	kill breakpoint
`SPC m d K`	kill all breakpoints in buffer
`SPC m d l`	Set breakpoint logger
`SPC m d n`	go to next breakpoint
`SPC m d N`	go to previous breakpoint
`SPC m d p`	go to previous breakpoint
`SPC m d o`	toggle breakpoint state
`SPC m d s`	set environment for evaluation
`SPC m d t`	toggle tracebug
`SPC m d u`	unflag function for debug
`SPC m d w`	trigger ESS watch mode