[ESS] Updating Emacs working directory after issuing an R setwd()

[Stephen Eglen]

Blanchette, Marco <MAB at stowers.org> wrote:

> Dear list,
> 
> Is there a way to reset the emacs working directory of the ESS buffer
> after using setwd() in an R session? Could this be automated following
> a setwd() call?


I had written this a while ago:

(defun ess-change-directory (path)
  "Set the current working directory to PATH for both *R* and Emacs."
  (interactive "DDirectory to change to: ")

  (when (file-exists-p path)
    (ess-command (concat "setwd(\"" path "\")\n"))
    ;; use file-name-as-directory to ensure it has trailing /
    (setq default-directory (file-name-as-directory path))))


If you put that in .emacs, and then within an *R* buffer, do M-x
ess-change-directory it will prompt you for a dir -- give a dir and R
and Emacs will be in sync as to what directory you want.  Automatically
tracking the directory is possible, but I've never found it necessary so
have not done it.

Stephen