How to use R Studio View() function programatically / in a package

Question

I am trying to use the R Studio View() function programatically / in a package.

When I use utils::View(), a different viewer than the R Studio viewer (it appears to be the one built-in to R) is used, but if I use View() (without specifying where the function is exported from), issues come up during R CMD CHECK.

I checked the R Studio cheatsheet, but this did not show whether / from where the R Studio View() is exported.

Can you give some examples of what you would like to accomplish? Dummy code please. — InfiniteFlash, Jan 12 '18 at 22:33
Sure, something like `View(readr::read_lines(script_filename))` — Joshua Rosenberg, Jan 12 '18 at 22:33
Here, I'm trying to make it easier to view a script which is automatically generated by a function (and then run). The idea is folks may want to peak under the hood easily. — Joshua Rosenberg, Jan 12 '18 at 22:34
That's an interesting question of `utils::View()` vs `View()` I wouldn't know why, will have to see.... — InfiniteFlash, Jan 12 '18 at 22:36
Agree. Yeah, it's not evident how to refer to [R Studio's] `View()` — Joshua Rosenberg, Jan 12 '18 at 22:36
I advise you to look at the source code of `View()`. It looks likes you may be to adjust it from within some related C/C++ function — InfiniteFlash, Jan 12 '18 at 23:05
It may be that utils::View in Rstudio is different that that of base R. you should see some thing like `` at the end of the print out when you type `View` in R console. As an aside, suggesting that the user use the `View()` function to view feels like over-optimization. Personally, I'd only go as far as to provide a print method and call it a day. — Jthorpe, Jan 12 '18 at 23:22

score 9 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 13 '18 at 17:24

RStudio replaces the utils::View function with their own function when it starts up. Their source is

function (...) 
.rs.callAs(name, hook, original, ...)
<environment: 0x1036a6dc0>

You can't just copy this into your package, because it depends on things in that environment, and there's no way for your package to get it.

However, you can do this:

myView <- function(x, title)
  get("View", envir = as.environment("package:utils"))(x, title)

and export myView from your package. If you run this in RStudio, you'll get their function, if you run it anywhere else, you'll get the regular one.

How to use R Studio View() function programatically / in a package

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