Code

How to use an external editor for R on macOS / Mac OS X:

On the Mac, R's built-in editor is much better than it is in the Windows version of R. However, for the advance in comfort, you have to trade off speed. Especially with large script files and on older machines, the editor tends to be very slow.

The good news is that you can have both, speed and comfort. This is possible with the use of a good external editor, e.g. BBEdit, TextWrangler or SubEthaEdit. Unfortunately, the use of external editors on the Mac platform is not well documented, but with these instructions (that use BBEdit, TextWrangler and SubEthaEdit as example) you should be ready within some minutes.

1. BBEdit

1.1 Install language support

This step is optional, but recommended. With an appropriate language support file BBEDit learns to parse the syntax of R. This enables colouring of certain syntactical elements.

In order to complete this step, simply load Marc Bearak's r.plist and install the file in

~/Library/Application Support/BBEdit/Language Modules (for the current user, e.g. you)
/Library/Application Support/BBEdit/Language Modules (for all users)

As usual, ~ denotes the path to your (or the respective user's) "home" folder in macOS.

1.2 Install connection script

This step is required to be able to execute the script in R. Open AppleScript's script editor and enter the following code:

tell the application "BBEdit"
  set sel to selection of front window as string
  set selLength to length of sel
    if selLength > 0 then
      tell the application "R"
        activate
        cmd sel
     end tell
    else
      set MacPath to file of front window as string
      set UnixPath to POSIX path of MacPath
      tell the application "R"
        activate
        cmd "source(\"" & UnixPath & "\",echo=FALSE)"
      end tell
    end if
end tell

Of course, this script is also available for download.

The code should be saved as script in one of the following folders:

~/Library/Application Support/BBEdit/Scripts (for the current user, e.g. you)
/Library/Application Support/BBEdit/Scripts (for all users)

Again, ~ denotes the path to your (or the respective user's) "home" folder in macOS / OS X.

1.3 Finishing

Essentially, you are done now. Optionally, you may adapt extension mappings and other language-specific settings with BBEdit's preferences (panes "Languages" and "Text Colors").

Additionally, you may want to assign a keyboard shortcut for executing the AppleScript (e. g. Command and Return, as in R's editor). You can do this with BBEdit's script pallette.

2. TextWrangler

2.1 Install language support

This step is optional, but recommended. With an appropriate language support file TextWranlger learns to parse the syntax of R. This enables colouring of certain syntactical elements.

In order to complete this step, simply load r.plist and install the file in

~/Library/Application Support/TextWrangler/Language Modules (for the current user, e.g. you)
/Library/Application Support/TextWrangler/Language Modules (for all users)

As usual, ~ denotes the path to your (or the respective user's) "home" folder in Mac OS X.

2.2 Install connection script

This step is required to be able to execute the script in R. Open AppleScript's script editor and enter the following code:

tell the application "TextWrangler"
  set sel to selection of front window as string
  set selLength to length of sel
    if selLength > 0 then
      tell the application "R"
        activate
        cmd sel
     end tell
    else
      set MacPath to file of front window as string
      set UnixPath to POSIX path of MacPath
      tell the application "R"
        activate
        cmd "source(\"" & UnixPath & "\",echo=FALSE)"
      end tell
    end if
end tell

Of course, this script is also available for download.

The code should be saved as script in one of the following folders:

~/Library/Application Support/TextWrangler/Scripts (for the current user, e.g. you)
/Library/Application Support/TextWrangler/Scripts (for all users)

Again, ~ denotes the path to your (or the respective user's) "home" folder in Mac OS X.

2.3 Finishing

Essentially, you are done now. Optionally, you may adapt the coloring of syntactical elements with TextWrangler's preferences (pane "Languages").

Additionally, you may assign a keyboard shortcut for executing the AppleScript (e. g. Command and Return, as in R's editor). You can do this with TextWrangler's script pallette.