Using lsp-mode with R

Can anyone advise me how to set up the R language server with lsp-mode? I already have lsp-mode working well with Python and Julia but I can't find out how to get it running with R. I've installed the language server package in R but I'm not sure what I have to do to have it start automatically when I open an R code file like it does with the other languages. Thanks.

You need both R package and language server in emacs to be installed

I have ESS installed. What else do I need?

Lsp server for R like py-right for python. Check [this](https://github.com/REditorSupport/languageserver)

I've done that but can't get it to load. I've added the code below to my init file but it's still not loading (with-eval-after-load 'lsp-mode (lsp-register-client (make-lsp-client :new-connection (lsp-stdio-connection '("R" "--slave" "-e" "languageserver::run()")) :major-modes '(ess-r-mode inferior-ess-r-mode) :server-id 'lsp-R)))

I don’t have any config relating to lsp in my config file bc I’m using doom emacs. Did you try M-x install-server or lsp-install (I’m on mobile and can’t remember exactly). Once you install languageserver it should initialize automatically

No I haven't. I'll look into that. Thanks!

Found the problem. I hadn't included `(ess-r-mode . lsp)` when loading the lsp-mode package. Many thanks for your help.

No problem! Hope you find ESS better to work with than Rstudio!

I've used R for nearly 20 years and have used Rstudio about twice :-)

From the discussion it seems ESS and LSP can be used together. I always thought one has to choose one of them. Can you use both ESS and LSP together?

Yeah definitely!

cool, I must look into this. A friend of mine uses R. I've only set him up with ESS so far.

Check this video out as well: it gives some good pointers about improving your ESS experience: especially if you are used to working from Rstudio [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxyhmhRVOfw&t=3s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxyhmhRVOfw&t=3s)

ESS is part o r-project.org and some of the maintainers are even R-core devs, so it is expected that ESS will have the same life cycle with the R software… and for a commercial product, I think the answer is opaque

Can you show the full config you have that got this working?

Sure, this is what worked for me. Apologies for the poor formatting. You have to follow the instructions [here](https://emacs-lsp.github.io/lsp-mode/page/lsp-r/) too. (use-package lsp-mode :init (setq lsp-keymap-prefix "s-l") :hook ((python-mode . lsp) (ess-r-mode . lsp) (lsp-mode . lsp-enable-which-key-integration)) :commands lsp) (with-eval-after-load 'lsp-mode (lsp-register-client (make-lsp-client :new-connection (lsp-stdio-connection '("R" "--slave" "-e" "languageserver::run()")) :major-modes '(ess-r-mode inferior-ess-r-mode) :server-id 'lsp-R)))

thanks, that looks really useful.:)

I got it working also, running `install.packages(“languageserver”)` in R, but I have to use as follows (note the change in the `:major-modes` line, using `ess-mode` rather than `ess-r-mode`): (setq ess-r-backend 'lsp) (use-package lsp-mode :init (setq lsp-keymap-prefix "s-l") :hook ((python-mode . lsp) (ess-r-mode . lsp) (lsp-mode . lsp-enable-which-key-integration)) :commands lsp) (with-eval-after-load 'lsp-mode (lsp-register-client (make-lsp-client :new-connection (lsp-stdio-connection '("R" "--slave" "-e" "languageserver::run()")) :major-modes '(ess-mode inferior-ess-r-mode) :server-id 'lsp-R)))

I'm struggling to get this set up like I thought it would... In your setup does it provide completion of object variables from the dollar operator? Like... for `dataframeA$Column1` if you press tab at `dataframe$` does it give completions based on the objects properties? In my setup (with doom emacs and with or without your added config) I don't get the proper completions like I do with straight `ESS` without lsp.