R help - Jun 2011 - Problems setting language in R-2.13.0 and opening RData

Dear list,

I just recently installed R-2.13.0 on my Windows7. I used to run R-2.10.0.

First of all, I used to be able to install R in English (in R-2.10.0)
during the installation procedure. My PC is in a Japanese environment
but I want R to be in English because I won't be able to interpret any
errors if they are in Japanese (I am Japanese so I can read them but I
won't be able to understand them). However, it seems that under
R-2.13.0, the option to install in English simply does not exist and I
have to associate LANGUAGE=en in the properties of all short cuts to
R.

This leads to my second problem. I usually open a saved work space by
double clicking on a .RData file. I had no problems in R-2.10.0 but in
R-2.13.0, even though I associated R-2.13.0 with RData files during
installation, I had problems opening them by double-clicking (it
always came up with a RTerm window) but I found a "R for Windows GUI
front-end" that I can associate my RData with which enabled me to open
RData in the R GUI. However, this R window is in Japanese.

So my question is: is there a way to set R itself in English
(including this R for Windows GUI front-end) and not just the pathways
from short cuts? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

many thanks in advance.
Manabu
-- 
Manabu Sakamoto, PhD
School of Earth Sciences
University of Bristol
manabu.sakamoto at googlemail.com

On 25.06.2011 11:48, Manabu Sakamoto wrote:
> Dear list,
>
> I just recently installed R-2.13.0 on my Windows7. I used to run R-2.10.0.
>
> First of all, I used to be able to install R in English (in R-2.10.0)
> during the installation procedure. My PC is in a Japanese environment
> but I want R to be in English because I won't be able to interpret any
> errors if they are in Japanese (I am Japanese so I can read them but I
> won't be able to understand them). However, it seems that under
> R-2.13.0, the option to install in English simply does not exist and I
> have to associate LANGUAGE=en in the properties of all short cuts to
> R.
The choice for a language in the installer was always just for the 
installer itself, not for R. This has not changed.

Of course you can set a gl?obal environment variable LANGUAGE=en, which 
would be used by any R started on your machine (as well as for any other 
software that reads such a variable)

Uwe Ligges

>
> This leads to my second problem. I usually open a saved work space by
> double clicking on a .RData file. I had no problems in R-2.10.0 but in
> R-2.13.0, even though I associated R-2.13.0 with RData files during
> installation, I had problems opening them by double-clicking (it
> always came up with a RTerm window) but I found a "R for Windows GUI
> front-end" that I can associate my RData with which enabled me to open
> RData in the R GUI. However, this R window is in Japanese.
>
> So my question is: is there a way to set R itself in English
> (including this R for Windows GUI front-end) and not just the pathways
> from short cuts? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
>
> many thanks in advance.
> Manabu

Please see the rw-FAQ.

And your claims about 2.10.0 are simply not true.  There only ever has 
been an option to choose the language of the installer: see the 
rw-FAQ.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2011, Manabu Sakamoto wrote:
> Dear list,
>
> I just recently installed R-2.13.0 on my Windows7. I used to run R-2.10.0.
>
> First of all, I used to be able to install R in English (in R-2.10.0)
> during the installation procedure. My PC is in a Japanese environment
> but I want R to be in English because I won't be able to interpret any
> errors if they are in Japanese (I am Japanese so I can read them but I
> won't be able to understand them). However, it seems that under
> R-2.13.0, the option to install in English simply does not exist and I
> have to associate LANGUAGE=en in the properties of all short cuts to
> R.
You can set environment variables globally, which it seems is what you 
want.  Then any product using GNU gettext will give your messages in 
English.  (Windows may still give your Japanese messages.)
> This leads to my second problem. I usually open a saved work space by
> double clicking on a .RData file. I had no problems in R-2.10.0 but in
> R-2.13.0, even though I associated R-2.13.0 with RData files during
> installation, I had problems opening them by double-clicking (it
> always came up with a RTerm window) but I found a "R for Windows GUI
> front-end" that I can associate my RData with which enabled me to open
> RData in the R GUI. However, this R window is in Japanese.
>
> So my question is: is there a way to set R itself in English
> (including this R for Windows GUI front-end) and not just the pathways
> from short cuts? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
>
> many thanks in advance.
> Manabu
> -- 
> Manabu Sakamoto, PhD
> School of Earth Sciences
> University of Bristol
> manabu.sakamoto at googlemail.com
>
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-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595