Writing R markdown documents using WriteR
Last updated: March 9, 2022
Purpose of page
This page is here to provide an alternative repository for the WriteR application (Windows executable) and the Python source files (in a single zip archive) that built it.
What is WriteR?
WriteR is a text editor suited to development of R markdown files. It is fairly simple and very similar to most text editors like Notepad (Windows) in the way it is used. WriteR does offer many shortcut keys to help speed up the creation of documents though.
The major reason for WriteR existing is that blind people cannot use RStudio which is the most commonly used editor of R markdown files by sighted users.
Once you get it installed (next section), go to the Basic Instructions page which gives you a guide suitable for the first time you use WriteR. You might also find the list of hot keys a useful resource. Open it or download the file given below.
Getting WriteR installed
You will need an installation of R and an installation of pandoc so that WriteR can do its thing.
Using the executable (recommended for beginners and advanced users alike)
N.B. This section is for Windows users only. Sorry, development of WriteR for other operating systems is only supported at a very basic level, and is perhaps best left to advanced users.You have choices. You can download the installer executable (most recommended), download the single file executable (it's a bit slow), or the zip archive (you'll have some work to do to get started). These three files are obtained using links at the bottom of this page.
It is preferable to use the installer. The installer will add WriteR to your Program Files folder and to your start menu. It currently does not add anything to your registry, so it doesn't have file associations (yet), nor is the installation folder added to your system's path. The installation is therefore not particularly invasive. An uninstall option is also added to your start menu so that you can get rid of WriteR anytime.
Using the source files (advanced users only)
If you are not a Windows user, or you would prefer to use the raw Python scripts then this section is for you.The greatest problem to overcome if you use the source Python scripts is that you need Python and WxPython installed.
The scripts are in the src.zip file given below.
Development site
The main repository for WriteR is the GitHub page. You will see a list of known issues and desired features on that page. If you would like to add to this list, then please do so using GitHub. This will automatically send a tracked message to Jonathan Godfrey as primary developer. Of course, if you have the time and the skill to offer helpful suggestions by way of code enhancements, then please do make them and put in the pull request.
