REditorSupport / REditorSupport/vscode-R
Help not shown when using session watcher
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Description
Describe the bug
When using the session watcher, R is not able to find the help files. Without the session watcher, I can see the help fine. Plotting and running View() work fine with the session watcher too as they open in a webview, the problem is with the help only.
To Reproduce
I don't understand what is happening, because some times it works, sometimes it doesn't... but most of the time it doesn’t.
Expected behavior
When running help(function) or ?function, it should show the help on this function in a webview panel, but right now it shows an error (see screenshot) Couldn't show help for path: /library/graphics/html/<function>.default.html
Screenshots

Do you want to fix by self?
I could help if I knew what to do...
My setting.json
// R path for Mac OS X
"r.rterm.mac": "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/bin/radian",",
// R command line options (i.e: --vanilla)
"r.rterm.option": ["--no-save", "--no restore"],
// An optional encoding to pass to R when executing the file, i.e. 'source(FILE, encoding=ENCODING)'
"r.source.encoding": "UTF-8",
// Keeping focus when running
"r.source.focus": "editor",
// Use active terminal for all commands, rather than creating a new R terminal
"r.alwaysUseActiveTerminal": false,
// Use bracketed paste mode
"r.bracketedPaste": true,
// Enable R session watcher (experimental)
"r.sessionWatcher": true,
My .Rprofile:
options(vsc.plot = FALSE)
options(vsc.browser = "Beside")
options(vsc.viewer = "Beside")
options(vsc.page_viewer = "Beside")
options(vsc.view = "Beside")
options(vsc.helpPanel = "Beside")
Environment (please complete the following information):
- OS: macOS 11.3
- VSCode Version: Version: 1.56.2 (Universal) Commit: 054a9295330880ed74ceaedda236253b4f39a335
- R Version: 4.1
- vscode-R version: 1.6.8
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing help(function) or ?function with r.sessionWatcher enabled, comparing the help webview with the working View() webview. Inspect the session watcher and help webview path handling; done means help consistently opens the requested function's documentation instead of reporting a missing path.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- r, vscode
- Domain
- tooling
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100