ESS -- Emacs Speaks Statistics

ESS is an add-on to emacs to allow easy editting and saving of files while running stat packages. Since I use it only with R and Splus, those are the only languages which I will cover.

To run ESS, open an emacs window and press Meta-X R (for use with R), or Meta-X S (for use with Splus) Alternatively, invoke emacs with these options:
emacs -f R & to start R or
emacs -f S & to start S-Plus

If those don't work, it means your emacs can't find ESS. Edit your .emacs file and add this line:

(require 'ess-site)
Commonly used commands are then in the menu under iESS.

Recommended usage:
I like to use ESS with two emacs windows open. Assume the first was opened by ESS and labeled *R* or *S*. Open the second with the Files menu: Open New Display, and Use C-x C-f or Files menu: Open File ... in the new window to include a file of commands. I'll refer to this as the file.r window.

In use, the file.r window stores a record of things that worked in the stat package, both commands and output. Commands are typed into the *R* or *S* window. If they work I copy them and any interesting output to the file.r window to be saved. If they don't work, I go back up to the line that's closest to working (in *R*) and modify it. Pushing return makes that line run as corrected.

I also find the search capabilites useful. To rerun a command that included lm(y~x), just push C-c C-r and the first few letters of lm(y~x). Push return, and the latest command using lm(y~x) will reappear. If you just want to correct and rerun the last command, Alt-P will bring it back.

Documentation

To read locally stored documentation click here or to obtain a copy of ESS, check the main ESS website.
Info on unix and emacs.

Other Stat package demos for unix packages:


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Author: Jim Robison-Cox
Last Updated: Wednesday, 09-Jan-2008 14:41:28 MST