Documentation: migration from RStudio to Positron

[juliasilge]

In our private beta, folks very helpfully contributed ideas about what they would like to see in a migration guide from RStudio to Positron. I'm moving those ideas here:

• how to use the RStudio keymap in Positron done; see https://positron.posit.co/keyboard-shortcuts.html#rstudio-keymap
• how to launch Positron using the Project Manager extension (+ Raycast) done; see https://positron.posit.co/rstudio-rproj-file.html
• how to think about workspaces (compared to RStudio projects)
• understanding the marketplace extensions and possibly suggesting some to try to get started done, at least at a basic level; https://positron.posit.co/extensions.html#installing-extensions
• orientation to the panes/tabs and their analogues in RStudio, as well as tips on customizing the layout
• R starts as a blank slate
• differences between RStudio and Positron when it comes to git/GitHub
• the fact that the command palette (CMD + P) in Positron is much more vital to a happy developer experience than it was in RStudio

[jennybc]

This almost reads like the current draft of the slides for my conf talk, which makes sense!

The one thing I'll mention that I don't see above is the new ease around using multiple versions of R. Of course, maybe that doesn't belong in a migration guide, because it's more of a new capability? But it might be legit, because RStudio on Windows does have a way to intervene at startup to choose the R version.

[statzhero]

How about a description of how the json settings work? Especially for folks who like to customize their font, look, etc.

[grantmcdermott]

how to think about workspaces (compared to RStudio projects)

On this note: How do here-based (rprojroot-based) workflows carry over? (Is the recommendation now to use an explicit .here file?)

[jennybc]

If you can't rely on any other marker of project-hood, yes, placing a .here file is the safest way to go. I think that means we'll need to tweak other tooling, such as usethis, to do this more often.

I'm not really noticing a difference, since I'm almost always in a git repo and I'm almost working on a package. But I know there are many other R personas where this will be a bigger deal.

[strengejacke]

how to think about workspaces (compared to RStudio projects)

Currently, you have both "projects" and "workspaces" in Positron. Creating a new project does not create any files like ".RProj" or ".code-workspace", it seems to be a simple folder that is listed in the "recent projects/workspaces" list. In the long term, are you planning to have both, or to use "workspaces" (maybe named as "projects")?

[jennybc]

So far, the plan is that Positron will not necessarily place a specific file or folder (although it could, if the user chooses to set some non-default setting for that workspace).

I think we do need to give careful thought to vocabulary and documentation here (around the words "project", "workspace", and "folder"). The reality is fairly simple, but it is very easy to be confused or to talk past each other.