SolSolAutomazione/R-VsCode/r_vscode_quick_start.md

Quick Start: Testing R in VSCode

Step 1: Install R Extensions

1. Open VSCode
2. Go to Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for and install:
   • "R" by REditorSupport
   • "R Debugger" by RDebugger
   • "R LSP Client" by REditorSupport

Step 2: Create Your First R File

1. Create a new file (Ctrl+N)
2. Save it with .R extension (e.g., test.R)
3. Type some basic R code:

   print("Hello R!")
   x <- 1:5
   mean(x)
   

Step 3: Run R Code in VSCode

Method A: Using R Terminal

1. Open Terminal in VSCode (Ctrl+` )
2. Type R to start R interactive session
3. Type commands directly:

   > 2 + 2
   [1] 4
   > plot(1:10)
   

Method B: Run Entire Script

1. Open your .R file
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P
3. Type "R: Run Source" and press Enter
4. Output appears in R Terminal

Method C: Run Selected Code

1. Select code in your R file
2. Right-click → "Run Selected Line(s)"
3. Or use shortcut: Ctrl+Enter

Step 4: View Plots

1. Run plot commands in R terminal:

   plot(1:10, main="Test Plot")
   

2. Plots appear in VSCode's Plot viewer panel

Step 5: Use R Markdown (Optional)

1. Create new file with .Rmd extension
2. Add code chunks:

   ```{r}
   summary(mtcars)
   

3. Click "Knit" button to render document

Step 6: Debug R Code

1. Set breakpoint by clicking left margin
2. Press F5 to start debugging
3. Step through code with F10/F11

Quick Test Commands to Try

In R terminal, test these:

# Basic math
2 + 2
sqrt(16)

# Create data
data <- c(1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
mean(data)

# Simple plot
plot(data, type="l", col="blue")

# Check packages
installed.packages()[1:5,]

What You Should See

• ✅ Code completion as you type
• ✅ Syntax highlighting
• ✅ R terminal with > prompt
• ✅ Plots in separate viewer
• ✅ Variable values in debugger

Troubleshooting

• If R isn't found: Check R path in extension settings
• Restart VSCode after installing extensions
• Ensure R is in system PATH