Keyboard shortcut for inserting code cell into .Rmd file

[EllaKaye]

Hello! The keyboard shortcut option-command-I work for inserting a new code cell into a Quarto document. However, it doesn't work (at least for me) in a .Rmd file, whereas in RStudio, that keyboard shortcut works in both file types. Am I missing something obvious? Is there a setting that I can adjust to allow this shortcut in a .Rmd file (and, if so, how), or is this a missing feature or bug? I have the RStudio keymap enabled.

[testlabauto]

Hello! If you click the three dots in the upper right and Edit In Visual Mode, you can then see the Insert menu and on it see the available keyboard shortcuts:

It looks to me like Option-Command-I by default will insert a Python Executable Cell. Note that I don't have the RStudio keymap enabled. It doesn't appear to me that a similar option is available for other executable cell types.

We could turn your discussion into an enhancement request if the available functionality doesn't meet your needs!

[EllaKaye]

Actually, I've realised that this is actually a completely different problem. Everything works exactly as expected for .Rmd files in Positron on my work laptop, but not on my personal laptop. On my personal laptop, everything works as expected with .qmd files, but .Rmd files don't seem to be being recognised as a special type of file. Not only can't I insert code cells with the keyboard shortcut, there's no syntax highlighting, no preview button, and if I try to send a line of code to the console, I get the message "Cannot execute code. Unable to start a runtime for the rmarkdown language." What an earth might be going on?

[testlabauto]

Do you see an R interpreter being detected when you click the interpreter dropdown?

Can you run simple lines of R code in the console?

[EllaKaye]

Yes. Here's a screenshot, showing the R interpreter, and everything I mentioned in my previous comment. R is running fine in the console, and I can also send a line from a .R script to the console no problem.

[juliasilge]

It looks like you also don't have any syntax highlighting, which makes me think that the Quarto extension either isn't installed or has gotten removed somehow.

• Do you have the latest version of Positron available at https://positron.posit.co/download?
• Can you look at the Extensions tab and see if the Quarto extension is there? What version is it?

[EllaKaye]

Thanks for the suggestions, Julia. Here's a weird(?) thing. In the latest release of Positron (2025.02.0-171) I do have the built-in Quarto extension enabled (and .qmd files work as expected, just not .Rmd ones). I went to look at Positron R Extension in the OUTPUT tab (as per #4288) and it's not there, as per this screenshot.

I thought maybe that's the problem. So I went back to Positron 2024.10.0-13 (the version that's working absolutely fine for both .qmd and .Rmd files on my work laptop), and now the Positron R Extension is there, but .Rmd files are still not working as expected (no syntax highlighting, no shortcuts for inserting code cells, no preview button). With this version of Positron, I have the installed Quarto extension, v1.118.0, which is enabled, and .qmd files work as expected.

This is the output of Positron R Extension in v2024.10.0-13:

025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Log level: Debug
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Refreshing testthat status
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Not working in an R package
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Context key 'testthatIsConfigured' is 'false'
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Context key 'testthatHasTests' is 'false'
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Possibly found R on PATH: /usr/local/bin/R.
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Resolved R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Possibly found R on PATH: /usr/local/bin/R.
2025-02-14 19:51:43.451 [info] Resolved R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.454 [info] Candidate R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.454 [info] R installation discovered: {
  "valid": true,
  "supported": true,
  "binpath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R",
  "homepath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources",
  "semVersion": {
    "options": {},
    "loose": false,
    "includePrerelease": false,
    "raw": "4.4.2",
    "major": 4,
    "minor": 4,
    "patch": 2,
    "prerelease": [],
    "build": [],
    "version": "4.4.2"
  },
  "version": "4.4.2",
  "arch": "arm64",
  "current": true,
  "orthogonal": true
}
2025-02-14 19:51:43.456 [info] Possibly found R on PATH: /usr/local/bin/R.
2025-02-14 19:51:43.456 [info] Resolved R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] Candidate R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] R installation discovered: {
  "valid": true,
  "supported": true,
  "binpath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources/bin/R",
  "homepath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.4-arm64/Resources",
  "semVersion": {
    "options": {},
    "loose": false,
    "includePrerelease": false,
    "raw": "4.4.2",
    "major": 4,
    "minor": 4,
    "patch": 2,
    "prerelease": [],
    "build": [],
    "version": "4.4.2"
  },
  "version": "4.4.2",
  "arch": "arm64",
  "current": true,
  "orthogonal": true
}
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] Candidate R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.2-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] R installation discovered: {
  "valid": true,
  "supported": true,
  "binpath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.2-arm64/Resources/bin/R",
  "homepath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.2-arm64/Resources",
  "semVersion": {
    "options": {},
    "loose": false,
    "includePrerelease": false,
    "raw": "4.2.3",
    "major": 4,
    "minor": 2,
    "patch": 3,
    "prerelease": [],
    "build": [],
    "version": "4.2.3"
  },
  "version": "4.2.3",
  "arch": "arm64",
  "current": false,
  "orthogonal": true
}
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] Candidate R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.3-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] R installation discovered: {
  "valid": true,
  "supported": true,
  "binpath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.3-arm64/Resources/bin/R",
  "homepath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.3-arm64/Resources",
  "semVersion": {
    "options": {},
    "loose": false,
    "includePrerelease": false,
    "raw": "4.3.2",
    "major": 4,
    "minor": 3,
    "patch": 2,
    "prerelease": [],
    "build": [],
    "version": "4.3.2"
  },
  "version": "4.3.2",
  "arch": "arm64",
  "current": false,
  "orthogonal": true
}
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] Candidate R binary at /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.5-arm64/Resources/bin/R
2025-02-14 19:51:43.465 [info] R installation discovered: {
  "valid": true,
  "supported": true,
  "binpath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.5-arm64/Resources/bin/R",
  "homepath": "/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.5-arm64/Resources",
  "semVersion": {
    "options": {},
    "loose": false,
    "includePrerelease": false,
    "raw": "4.5.0",
    "major": 4,
    "minor": 5,
    "patch": 0,
    "prerelease": [],
    "build": [],
    "version": "4.5.0"
  },
  "version": "4.5.0",
  "arch": "arm64",
  "current": false,
  "orthogonal": true
}
2025-02-14 19:51:43.911 [info] Creating Positron R 4.4.2 language client (port 46586)
2025-02-14 19:51:43.911 [info] ARK (R 4.4.2) language client state changed uninitialized => starting
2025-02-14 19:51:44.434 [info] ARK (R 4.4.2) language client init successful
2025-02-14 19:51:44.434 [info] ARK (R 4.4.2) language client state changed starting => running

@juliasilge, @testlabauto, thank you for helping me troubleshoot this :)

[juliasilge]

We did do some recent work re-organizing the output channels; you can see some details on this on our site. I think this problem is unlikely to be related to our R extension, but rather the Quarto one.

Do you happen to have this extension installed? https://github.com/yunier-olivera/markdown-quarto-word-count

This extension provides the language "rmarkdown" for .Rmd, which interferes with the Quarto extension providing support for .Rmd:
https://github.com/yunier-olivera/markdown-quarto-word-count/blob/4480749cb27e560d9bfb48fe8cbcd1c58043d931/package.json#L63-L67

If not, can you take a look at other extensions you may have installed that may be set up for special .Rmd handling?

[EllaKaye]

Hi @juliasilge. Thank you, that's it! I do have that extension installed (and that was the difference between my personal and work laptops). I disabled it and now .Rmd files are back to working as they should 😄