[R] unix-type commandline keystrokes in the windows RGUI

[Michael Frumin]

wow, ok, thanks everyone lots for me to explore.  I will take some time, 
and if none of these achieve what I'm trying to get at I will come back 
here.  Thanks!

Mike

Adaikalavan Ramasamy wrote:
> Well, I don't see why you need the CTRL-R functionality when you can 
> just as rapidly and efficiently using SEARCH functionality  in scripts 
> too (CTRL-F in most applications, CTRL-S in emacs etc).
>
> BTW, I am quite familiar with Unix, Linux and Sun Solaris and what 
> CTRL-R does (yes, I used it frequently). Which is why I am able to 
> tell you that CTRL-R will pull up all matching commands - even 
> commands that had failed! At least in a script environment, you tend 
> to correct failed commands. So you know when you search scripts, it 
> will likely be the correct command.
>
> To summarize my view, I feel that CTRL-R is appropriate for shell 
> operations where one codes on the fly while using a search 
> functionality and scripting is appropriate for a scientific 
> programming software.
>
>
> Anyway, here is how to do what you want:
>
> 1) Install bash on your Windows machine - You can use cgywin. Or 
> download and unzip http://www.steve.org.uk/Software/bash/
>
> 2) Make the directory to bash.exe and R.exe are in your PATH variable.
>
> 3) Start -> Run -> cmd
>
> 4) Start R.exe
>
> and now you should have your CTRL-R functionality (along with ls and 
> other bash goodies). Yes, I know you asked about Rgui.exe and not 
> R.exe. But this is the best I can do.
>
> By all means go bother the R developers (most of whom I suspect are on 
> the mailing list). I will be interested in what they say.
>
> Regards, Adai
>
>
>
> mfrumin wrote:
>> Adaikalavan, thanks.
>>
>> Perhaps I was not so specific enough in what I want, for those not so
>> familiar with unix commandline featuers.  I'm looking for the 'reverse
>> search' functionality where you hit CTRL-R, then start typing a bit 
>> of text
>> and it finds previous commands with that bit of text, which you just hit
>> enter to execute.
>>
>> I already do write tons of code/scripts in R (using Emacs in fact!).  
>> But
>> one of the great features of R/SPSS/Matlab/etc is that they are 
>> interactive
>> environments.  Thus, I spend lots of time issuing commands as well as
>> writing code.  I want to be able to search back through those 
>> commands as
>> rapidly and efficiently as you can in the unix (and R unix) commandline.
>>
>> Another way to think about this is -- the unix commandline 
>> environment is a
>> scripting environment where you can use emacs.  Yet users of unix 
>> love the
>> CTRL-R functionality anyway (they wrote it!).
>>
>> So, any suggestions to help do what I specifically asked, or should I go
>> bother the R developers?
>>
>> thanks,
>> Mike
>