R help - Aug 2007 - Opening a script with the R editor via file association (on Windows)

Is there an easy way to open an R script file in the R Editor found in
more recent versions of R on Windows via a file association? I am looking
for functionality akin to how the ".ssc" file extension works for
S-Plus:
upon double-clicking on a ".R" file, Rgui.exe starts up and loads the
script
file in the R Editor.

As far as I can tell, Rgui.exe does not have a command line option to load
a file (so associating ".R" with "Rgui.exe %1" won't
work). I can get Windows
to start Rgui.exe when I double-click on a script file, but that's about it.
I also don't see any way to have Rgui.exe evaluate an expression provided on
the command line (which would allow "file.edit(%1)"). I also thought
about
creating a custom .First calling 'file.edit' in a batch file, but then
I'd have
to start R, load the .First file, then quit and restart R, so that's out.

Is there an easy way to do this without resorting to some other R GUI?

Thanks,

Chris Green

________________________________

Christopher G. Green (cggreen AT stat.washington.edu) 
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Statistics, Box 354322, Seattle, WA, 98195-4322, U.S.A.
http://www.stat.washington.edu/cggreen/

On 03/08/2007 7:16 PM, Christopher Green wrote:
> Is there an easy way to open an R script file in the R Editor found in
> more recent versions of R on Windows via a file association? I am looking
> for functionality akin to how the ".ssc" file extension works for
S-Plus:
> upon double-clicking on a ".R" file, Rgui.exe starts up and loads
the script
> file in the R Editor.
> 
> As far as I can tell, Rgui.exe does not have a command line option to load
> a file (so associating ".R" with "Rgui.exe %1"
won't work). I can get Windows
> to start Rgui.exe when I double-click on a script file, but that's
about it.
> I also don't see any way to have Rgui.exe evaluate an expression
provided on
> the command line (which would allow "file.edit(%1)"). I also
thought about
> creating a custom .First calling 'file.edit' in a batch file, but
then I'd have
> to start R, load the .First file, then quit and restart R, so that's
out.
> 
> Is there an easy way to do this without resorting to some other R GUI?
Easy?  Not sure.  But the following works:

Set up the association as

"F:\R\R-2.5.1\bin\Rgui.exe" --args "%1"

(with obvious modifications to the path) and put this line in your 
RHOME/etc/Rprofile.site file:

utils::file.edit(commandArgs(TRUE))

You could make things more sophisticated if you don't want a blank edit 
window to open in case you're not using this shortcut.

Duncan Murdoch

Does ?Rscript help?


>>> Christopher Green <cggreen at stat.washington.edu> 06/08/2007
23:13:47 >>>
On Fri, 3 Aug 2007, Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> On 03/08/2007 7:16 PM, Christopher Green wrote:
>> Is there an easy way to open an R script file in the R Editor found in
>> more recent versions of R on Windows via a file association? I am
looking
>> for functionality akin to how the ".ssc" file extension works
for S-Plus:
>> upon double-clicking on a ".R" file, Rgui.exe starts up and
loads the
>> script file in the R Editor.
>> 
>> As far as I can tell, Rgui.exe does not have a command line option to
load
>> a file (so associating ".R" with "Rgui.exe %1"
won't work). I can get
>> Windows
>> to start Rgui.exe when I double-click on a script file, but that's
about
>> it.
>> I also don't see any way to have Rgui.exe evaluate an expression
provided
>> on
>> the command line (which would allow "file.edit(%1)"). I also
thought about
>> creating a custom .First calling 'file.edit' in a batch file,
but then I'd
>> have
>> to start R, load the .First file, then quit and restart R, so
that's out.
>> 
>> Is there an easy way to do this without resorting to some other R GUI?
>
> Easy?  Not sure.  But the following works:
>
> Set up the association as
>
> "F:\R\R-2.5.1\bin\Rgui.exe" --args "%1"
>
> (with obvious modifications to the path) and put this line in your 
> RHOME/etc/Rprofile.site file:
>
> utils::file.edit(commandArgs(TRUE))
>
> You could make things more sophisticated if you don't want a blank edit
> window to open in case you're not using this shortcut.
>
> Duncan Murdoch
>
Thanks to Duncan for pointing me towards commandArgs()...I was able to 
modify things so that the script editor only opens when there is a file to edit.
Essentially, there are two steps:

1. Add the line

if ( length(z <- commandArgs(TRUE)) ) utils::file.edit(z[1])

to the Rprofile.site file; and

2. Edit the registry to associate the .R extension with the command

C:\Program Files\R\R-2.5.1\bin\Rgui.exe --args "%1"

I have written up some instructions on how to do this for the faculty 
member who asked me about doing this; others may find them useful.

http://www.stat.washington.edu/software/statsoft/R/Rwinassoc.shtml 

Chris Green

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