Using XEmacs and ESS with R for MS/Windows

John Fox
Sun, 24 Nov 2002 14:18:55 -0000

I've been working on a document describing the use of XEmacs and ESS with R
for Windows users, along with configuration files that are meant to make
things simple for Windows users. This was initially intended for my
students, but with recent discussions of Windows (and other) editors on the
the R-help list, I thought that I'd make the material more widely available.

The document describes how to install, configure, and use XEmacs and ESS
with R under Windows. The configuration files divide the XEmacs windows
into two sub-windows, one for R source files (with tabs when multiple files
are open), the other with the R process. A customized toolbar is provided
with buttons to send individual lines, "paragraphs," marked regions of
text, and functions from the source window to the R process; there are
other buttons to source the whole file silently, and to interrupt the R
process. Menus are provided to perform operations similar to those in the
standard Windows R GUI -- for example, to install, load, and update
packages. In general, I've tried to provide features available in the R GUI
and in Uwe Ligges's R plug-in for the shareware editor WinEdt. As well,
I've attempted to make XEmacs appear more Windows-like in its behaviour,
for example by defining standard Windows editing keys.

More information is available at
<http://www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/jfox/Books/Companion/ESS/>.

Comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

  John
-----------------------------------------------------
John Fox
Department of Sociology
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M4
email: jfox at mcmaster.ca
phone: 905-525-9140x23604
web: www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/jfox
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