Install R for VS Code

Why R?

R is the industry standard for statistical analysis, data visualization, and reproducible research in mass communications. In this course you write and run R inside VS Code with the R extension, the same editor you use for everything else, so your code, notes, and reproducible reports all live in one workspace.

In this course you’ll use R to:

  • Clean and analyze data from surveys and content analysis
  • Create publication-ready visualizations and reports
  • Build reproducible workflows for your research
  • Collaborate on data analysis projects

This guide installs R and wires it into VS Code. If you have not installed VS Code yet, do that first: Install VS Code.

What you’ll install

  1. R itself (the programming language)
  2. The R extension for VS Code
  3. Two helper R packages (languageserver and httpgd) that make R feel at home in VS Code

Step 1: Install R

Windows

  1. Go to r-project.org.
  2. Click Download R, then Download R for Windows, then base.
  3. Click Download R X.X.X for Windows and run the installer.
  4. Click through with the default location and components, then Finish.

Verify: open PowerShell and type R --version. You should see version information.

macOS

  1. Go to r-project.org and click Download R for macOS.
  2. Download the right .pkg: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) uses the ARM64 build, Intel Macs use the Intel build. Not sure? Apple menu, About This Mac, check the chip.
  3. Run the installer and accept the defaults.

Verify: open Terminal and type R --version.

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install r-base

Verify: type R --version in Terminal.

Step 2: Install the R extension in VS Code

  1. Open VS Code and open the Extensions view (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+X).
  2. Search for R by REditorSupport and click Install.
  3. If you cloned the course workspace, this extension is already in the recommended list, so the workspace will prompt you to install it.

Step 3: Install the helper packages

The R extension talks to R through two small packages. Open a terminal in VS Code (Terminal, New Terminal), type R to start an R session, and run:

install.packages("languageserver")  # code completion, diagnostics, help
install.packages("httpgd")           # plots render in a VS Code panel

Type q() and then n to leave the R session when they finish.

Step 4: Install the course packages

Start R again (R in the terminal) and install the analysis packages, one at a time:

install.packages("tidyverse")   # ggplot2, dplyr, readr, tidyr, and more
install.packages("likert")      # Likert-scale survey analysis
install.packages("rmarkdown")   # reports from your analysis

For later phases you may also want:

install.packages("lm.beta")      # standardized regression coefficients
install.packages("car")          # post-hoc tests and diagnostics
install.packages("ggstatsplot")  # statistical plots with test results

Wait for each to finish (you’ll see a blank > prompt when done).

Step 5: Run your first R code in VS Code

  1. In your workspace, create a new file called hello.R.
  2. Type:
print("Hello, Communication Liaison!")
  1. With your cursor on that line, press Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (Mac). VS Code starts an R terminal and runs the line.
  2. You should see:
[1] "Hello, Communication Liaison!"

If you see that output, you’re ready to go.

Step 6: Test your setup with data

In the same hello.R, add and run:

library(tidyverse)
data(mtcars)
head(mtcars)

You should see a table of car data, and a plot panel will open the first time you draw a chart. Your R setup is complete.

How R works in VS Code

Part of VS Code What it does for R
Editor Write .R and .qmd files; send lines to R with Ctrl/Cmd+Enter
R terminal The live R session where results appear; type commands directly here too
Workspace panel (R extension) Shows the variables and data you’ve loaded
Plots panel (httpgd) Where your charts render
Explorer Your project files; the open folder is your working directory, so no .Rproj is needed

You do not create a separate project file. In VS Code you simply open your workspace folder, and that folder is the working directory for the whole session.

Common first-time issues

“Command not found: R”

Restart your computer after installing R. On macOS/Linux you may need the full path /usr/local/bin/R.

The R extension cannot find R

Open Settings (Ctrl/Cmd+,), search for r.rpath, and set the path to your R executable (for example C:\Program Files\R\R-4.x.x\bin\R.exe on Windows, or /usr/local/bin/R on macOS).

“Could not find function”

Load the package first, for example library(ggplot2).

install.packages() seems stuck

Press Escape, then try a specific mirror:

install.packages("tidyverse", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")

If you’re still stuck, reach out during office hours.

Next steps

  1. Installed R.
  2. Installed the R extension in VS Code.
  3. Installed the helper and course packages.
  4. Ran your first R code from the editor.
  5. Next: learn R basics in the R Workbook.

Resources

Questions? Check the troubleshooting section, search stackoverflow.com for your error, or visit office hours.