R File

What are R files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a R file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your R files.

What is a R file?

R files have multiple uses, and R Source Code is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

R Source Code

A .R file is a script written in the R programming language and created by R. People use .R files to save R code that performs data analysis, builds statistical models, and produces charts and reports. Analysts and data scientists keep these files as the working code for projects.

Typical uses include storing step-by-step analyses, defining reusable functions, and automating repetitive data tasks. Developers save sets of commands as .R files when preparing reproducible workflows, experiments, or code snippets that are later combined into larger projects.

Technically, an .R file is an editable plain-text file containing R source code; it carries no required file header or byte signature and is identified by the .R filename extension.

Do I need R to run a .R file?

Yes. R executes .R scripts; you need an R installation or a service that runs R to execute the commands in the file. Without R the file remains plain text and cannot perform analysis.

How to open R files

We have identified five R openers that are compatible with this specific type of R file.

Programs that open R Source Code files

Last updated: January 25, 2025

All known file formats using extension .R

While R Source Code is a popular type of R-file, we know of 4 different uses of the .R file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Mac Resource Script

We know that one R format is Mac Resource Script. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different R openers which you will find listed below.

Rebol Source Code

Rebol Source Code files are human-readable scripts written in the Rebol (Relative Expression Based Object Language) programming language. These scripts are used to define logic, data, or applications using Rebol's syntax so that the Rebol interpreter can execute them. They often serve purposes like automating tasks, defining functions, or structuring data models within the Rebol runtime environment.

These file-based scripts are typically created by developers using a plain text editor or IDE and saved with the .r extension. Rebol/Core, Rebol/View, and other REBOL Technologies products can interpret these files. At runtime the interpreter reads the script text, parses any special header metadata if present, then executes or loads definitions accordingly. Authors often include a script header (a block following the word REBOL) providing title, requirements or metadata.

Scripts generally use the suffix .r by convention; that suffix signals to users and tools that the file is source code for Rebol, though the interpreter does not require that suffix - it scans files for a valid REBOL header to recognize them. Internally such source files begin with the ASCII sequence "REBOL" followed by a header block, often including words like Title, and include signature bytes that help automatic file type identification.

Twist Report Script

Twist Report Script is a file format used by the Twist database software on the Amiga, made by HiSoft Systems. These files store user-defined report layouts: how to select, arrange, group, sort, and format data from one or more database tables for printing or display. They let the user design custom reports (with headers, groups, footers, etc.) drawing from the record and field definitions in a Twist database.

Such files are created inside the Twist program's report-building or script facility, typically when specifying what data to output and how - the order of records, which fields appear, how groups of records are laid out, and what goes in page headers or footers. Twist then uses that script when you run or print a report. Users do not usually edit these files with external tools because their structure aligns with the internal database schema.

Technically, these files always use the extension .R. They have a signature: the ASCII text "REPORT" at offset 0, plus embedded keywords such as "PAGE LAYOUT", "OUTPUT", "RECORD", "FIELD", and "NAME" within the file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of R files. Remember, different programs may use R files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about R file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.