[ESS] Feature request -- start R automagically

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> "MM" == Martin Maechler <maechler at stat.math.ethz.ch>
>>>>>     on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:29:02 +0200 writes:

    VG> Le sam. 24 mai à 04:53, Martin Maechler a écrit :
    >>> Salut Vincent, (et al)
    >>>>>>>> "VG" == Vincent Goulet
    >>>>>>>> <vincent.goulet at act.ulaval.ca> on Fri, 23 May 2008
    >>>>>>>> 09:03:41 -0400 writes:
    >>> 
    VG> Hi Martin, Le ven. 23 mai à 02:45, Martin Maechler a
    VG> écrit :
    >>> 
    >>>>>>>>>> "MM" == Martin Maechler
    >>>>>>>>>> <maechler at stat.math.ethz.ch> on Fri, 9 May 2008
    >>>>>>>>>> 17:35:56 +0200 writes:
    >>>>> 
    >>>>>>>>>> "MR" == Mathieu Ribatet <mathieu.ribatet at epfl.ch>
    >>>>>>>>>> on Thu, 08 May 2008 17:37:32 +0200 writes:
    >>>>> 
    MR> Dear list, Will it be possible to add the following
    MR> request.  When running emacs with a R script file (or
    MR> any other source
    >>>>> file) and
    MR> trying to C-c C-r a region while no R process is
    MR> running, you
    >>>>> get the
    MR> following message "Process R is not running".
    >>>>> 
    MR> I think it may be convenient if then ESS propose you to
    >>>>> launch a new R
    MR> process.
    >>>>> 
    MM> I agree, and I had added this feature already a few
    MM> months ago in a different context (Sweave editing) on
    MM> 2007-05-03 { according to lisp/Changelog }.
    >>>>> 
    MM> I hope to find time to hack this during the prolonged
    >>>>> Pentecoste
    MM> weekend.
    >>>>> 
    >>>>> and I did not have time then, but last night.
    >>>>> 
    >>>>> I've commited a change to ESS' development version
    >>>>> which automatically starts R if - you are editing an S
    >>>>> language buffer [ ess-language is "S" ] which should be
    >>>>> the case for all R source files - if your buffer has no
    >>>>> associated ess process.
    >>> 
    VG> Shouldn't it be "if there is no *running* ess process" ?
    >>> 
    >>> well, that's yet another feature request !  :-) which
    >>> makes sense, but is not yet implemented.

    VG> Well, this is how I interpreted the original
    VG> request. ;-)

    MM> no problem.

    VG> This is how I understood your change mentioned above:
    VG> ESS will spawn a new S process as soon as we try to
    VG> execute code in an S buffer that is not already
    VG> associated with an ess process --- regardless if there
    VG> is an ess process already running. If I'm correct, I'm
    VG> not sure I like this feature.

    MM> Ahh, I'm curious. Why not?

Ok, I've now re-read more carefully what you (Vincent) wrote
above.
No, the new feature is not what you fear.

A new R is only started if there is no process running at all.
Otherwise the S-language buffer (e.g. foobar.R ) should 
automatically be associated with the already running process.

    MM> If this seems a bit controversial, we of course should give the
    MM> users an easy option to disable the new feature(s).
    MM> This has to wait for a few days though.

{I haven't found the time // seen the necessity to make this a
 customizable option}

Martin


    VG> Thanks for your work on this.

    MM> You're welcome.
    MM> Martin

    VG> Vincent

    >>> 
    >>> 
    >>> I'll see if I can implement it "quickly".  Martin
    >>> 
    VG> Vincent
    >>> 
    >>>>> 
    >>>> 
    >>>> Consequently, this feature will be in ESS 5.3.8
    >>>> 
    >>>> Martin Maechler, ETH Zurich