[R] How useful is iESS mode for emacs?

david.whiting@ncl.ac.uk david.whiting at ncl.ac.uk
Wed Mar 13 19:58:06 CET 2002


Hi,

For a while I had been trying to avoid learning emacs (I got into vi,
liked it and didn't want to mess with this C-x M-x C-c etc nonsense). I
couldn't find a way to get R to work intimately with vi, so I recently
decided I needed give ess a go. I have been working with it for about a
total of 6 hours and I have a strong feeling that I am going to get very
hooked (so to speak) on emacs and ess. It didn't take me long at all to
get used to C-x C-keystroke, M-x etc (it's not nonsense at all). You
only really have to learn a few key editing features to started and then
it seems that it is possible to do almost anything once you get more
comfortable. 

Make sure you take the advice of the docs and save a "transcript" (with
the appropriate extension) as this will make certain transcript-specific
features available. For example, it is very handy to be able to select a
region of commands and clean it to remove all but the functions ready to
be used to create a program. 

I am not sure from your email if you already use emacs or not. If you
do, then you will find that ess makes life easier immediately. If not,
then like me you will spend a short while wondering how to do the most
simple things, but after a short investment find it worthwhile. Below I
have attached a short crib sheet I made as I started to learn emacs with
R. You will notice that most of the notes are related to emacs rather
than R because once I understand enough of emacs I was able to open the
R help in another buffer and refer to that.


HTH

Dave


------------
Some key keys to get me started in emacs. My particular interest is to
be learn to use ESS.

R:
------
M-x R			Start R session
M-ENTER			resubmit command and place cursor at beginning
			of next command



Help:
----
C-h b			List of key bindings. Use / to search for regexp
C-h m			Mode based help, i.e. context specific help


File stuff:
---------
C-x C-f			'Visit' a file, including creating a new file
C-x C-s			Save buffer
C-x C-c			Save buffers, kill emacs


Editing:
-------
C-_			Undo
ESC d			kill word
ESC DEL			kill word backwards
C-y 			paste
C-space			start to select a region (mark)


Buffers:
-------
C-x C-b			list buffers (in another buffer)
C-x b <buffer name>	change to a specific buffer
C-x 1			make this buffer fill the whole screen
C-x 2			split screen into two 
C-x o			select the other buffer when screen is split
C-x k <buffer name>	kill a buffer


Combinations:
-----------
C-x C-b C-x o <select buffer> RET	

This will list the buffers, take you to the buffer list, then you select
a buffer and press RET to enter the buffer.





On Tue, Mar 12, 2002 at 09:03:00PM -0800, Francisco J Molina wrote:
> I would like some feedback about how useful is the iESS mode to run R in
> Xemacs/emacs?
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-- 
Dave Whiting
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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