User manual

Chapter 12: Overview of ESS features for the S family 62
12 Overview of ESS features for the S family
12.1 ESS[S]–Editing files
ESS[S] is the mode for editing S language files. This mode handles:
− proper indenting, generated by both [Tab] and [Return].
− color and font choices based on syntax.
− ability to send the contents of an entire buffer, a highlighted region, an S function, or
a single line to an inferior S process, if one is currently running.
− ability to switch between processes which would be the target of the buffer (for the
above).
− The ability to request help from an S process for variables and functions, and to have
the results sent into a separate buffer.
− completion of object names and file names.
ESS[S] mode should be automatically turned on when loading a file with the suffices found
in ess-site (*.R, *.S, *.s, etc). Alternatively, type M-x R-mode to put the current buffer into
R mode. However, one will have to start up an inferior process to take advantage of the
interactive features.
12.2 iESS[S]–Inferior ESS processes
iESS (inferior ESS) is the mode for interfacing with active statistical processes (programs).
This mode handles:
− proper indenting, generated by both [Tab] and [Return].
− color and font highlighting based on syntax.
− ability to resubmit the contents of a multi-line command to the executing process with
a single keystroke [RET].
− The ability to request help from the current process for variables and functions, and
to have the results sent into a separate buffer.
− completion of object names and file names.
− interactive history mechanism.
− transcript recording and editing.
To start up iESS mode, use:
M-x S+3
M-x S4
M-x S+5
M-x S+6
M-x R
(for S-PLUS 3.x, S4, S+5, S+6 or S+7, and R, respectively. This assumes that you have
access to each). Usually the site will have defined one of these programs (by default S+6)
to the simpler name:
M-x S