3.1 Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts Function
cmd + / comment
shift + cmd + M or
shift + ctrl + M
In script editor: user defined; %>%
ctrl + P In Radian: user defined; %>%
opt + - user defined; <-
ctrl + ` toggle btw editor and terminal
  • For commonly used general keyboard shortcuts (not limited to R), see HERE.

  • Suggested keyboard shortcuts for R in VS Code.

  • For user defined shortcuts, you can add them in the keybindings.json file.


Q: How to run R code interactively?
A: Create an R terminal via command R: Create R Terminal in the Command Palette. Once an R terminal is ready, you could either select the code or put the cursor at the beginning or ending of the code you want to run, press (Ctrl + Enter), and then code will be sent to the active R terminal.

If you want to run an entire R file, open the file in the editor, and press Ctrl+Shift+S and the file will be sourced in the active R terminal.


Q: Why using VS Code for R programming instead of RStudio?
A: Several reasons:

  • Better integration with Copilot, making it easier to write code with AI assistance.
  • More responsive and powerful engineering tools such as symbol highlight, find references, rename symbol, etc. integrated to the IDE.
  • VS Code has a lot of extensions that can enhance your R programming experience, such as Markdown Preview Enhance, Live Server, and GitLens.
  • Git support is better in VS Code, making it easier for version control and collaboration.