r-lsp

r-lsp

Claude Code plugin for R language server integration. Provides code intelligence for R files including diagnostics, go-to-definition, hover documentation, find references, and code formatting.

Note: If you're using Positron, you don't need this plugin—Positron has built-in R language server support. This plugin is for VS Code, terminal Claude Code, and other environments without native R LSP integration.

Features

Once installed, Claude gains these capabilities when working with R files:

Feature	Description
Diagnostics	Automatic lintr warnings and errors after each edit
Hover	Documentation and type info for functions and variables
Go to Definition	Jump to where functions/variables are defined
Find References	Locate all usages of a symbol
Document Symbols	Outline of functions and objects in a file
Formatting	Code formatting via styler

Prerequisites

Install the R languageserver package:

install.packages("languageserver")

For full functionality, also install:

install.packages("lintr")   # Diagnostics
install.packages("styler")  # Formatting

Verify R is in your PATH:

R --version

Installation

From GitHub (recommended)

/plugin marketplace add ab604/r-lsp
/plugin install r-lsp@ab604-r-lsp

From local path (development)

/plugin marketplace add /path/to/r-lsp
/plugin install r-lsp@local-r-lsp

Supported File Types

Extension	Language ID
.R, .r	r
.Rmd, .rmd	rmd
.qmd	quarto

How It Works

This plugin configures Claude Code to connect to the R languageserver package. When you open an R project:

1. Claude Code starts an R process running languageserver::run()
2. The language server analyzes your R files
3. Claude receives real-time diagnostics, completions, and navigation info

Troubleshooting

"Executable not found in $PATH"

Ensure R is installed and available:

which R
R --version

"languageserver not found"

Install the R package:

install.packages("languageserver")

No diagnostics appearing

Install lintr:

install.packages("lintr")

Check if lintr works:

lintr::lint("your_file.R")

High memory usage

The R languageserver can use significant memory on large projects. If needed:

/plugin disable r-lsp@ab604-r-lsp

Configuration

The language server respects your project's .lintr file for diagnostic rules. Example .lintr:

linters: linters_with_defaults(
  line_length_linter(120),
  commented_code_linter = NULL
)

Related

• R languageserver - The underlying LSP implementation
• lintr - Static code analysis for R
• styler - Code formatting for R
• claude-code-r-skills - R development skills for Claude Code

License

MIT