Create and Maintain R Packages • rpkgkit

Overview

rpkgkit provides utilities for creating and maintaining R packages. The functions support common development tasks such as managing standalone scripts, maintaining NEWS.md, modernizing R source, configuring package infrastructure, and maintaining README files.

Most functions detect the active file context in RStudio and Positron (2026.10.1 or later), so a file path can often be omitted.

Installation

Install the released version from CRAN:

install.packages("rpkgkit")

Install the development version from r-universe:

install.packages(
  "rpkgkit",
  repos = c("https://wanglabcsu.r-universe.dev", "https://cloud.r-project.org")
)

Or install from GitHub (recommended):

pak::pak("WangLabCSU/rpkgkit")

Guides

Detailed, copy-ready examples are organized by task in the package website:

rpkgkit standalone scripts: import standalone helpers, manage their metadata, and discover or create standalone files.
Code Convertion: qualify package calls, check source code, modernize syntax, and convert integer or non-ASCII literals.
Edit NEWS: create, update, display, and validate NEWS.md entries.
Package Setup & Maintenace: configure package infrastructure, vendor permissively licensed code, and manage ignore files.
Tools for README & Documentation: create README translations and insert or generate badges.

It’s recommended to use following packages together with rpkgkit:

pkgdown / pkgdown.offline: generate package website.
pkgload: load package source code.
flir / jarl / lintr: lint and fix source code.
air: format source code.
usethis: manage package metadata.
devtools: build and check package.

Cheat sheet

Convert and check code

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`add_double_colons()`	`add_double_colons(code)`	Add `pkg::` qualifiers to calls in a code string
`make_func_call_explicit()`	`make_func_call_explicit("R/foo.R")`	Add `pkg::` qualifiers to every call in one file
`package_func_call_explicit()`	`package_func_call_explicit()`	Same, for every file under `R/`
`make_func_arg_explicit()`	`make_func_arg_explicit("R/foo.R")`	Add argument names to calls in one file
`package_func_arg_explicit()`	`package_func_arg_explicit()`	Same, for every file under `R/`
`rename_func()`	`rename_func("R/foo.R", style = "snake_case")`	Rename function definitions to a naming style
`convert_func_syntax()`	`convert_func_syntax("R/foo.R", direction = "to_lambda")`	Switch between `function()` and `\()` syntax
`convert_pipe()`	`convert_pipe("R/foo.R", direction = "to_base")`	Switch between the magrittr and base pipes in one file
`package_convert_pipe()`	`package_convert_pipe(direction = "to_base")`	Same, for every file under `R/`
`convert_int_literals()`	`convert_int_literals("R/foo.R")`	Add the integer `L` suffix in one file
`package_convert_int_literals()`	`package_convert_int_literals()`	Same, for every file under `R/`
`convert_nonascii_code()`	`convert_nonascii_code(code, reverse = FALSE)`	Escape non-ASCII characters (or restore them)
`convert_knitr_chunk_header()`	`convert_knitr_chunk_header()`	Modernize knitr chunk headers in `.Rmd` files
`optimize_rmd_yaml()`	`optimize_rmd_yaml("README.Rmd")`	Fill one YAML header from the package `DESCRIPTION`
`package_optimize_rmd_yaml()`	`package_optimize_rmd_yaml()`	Same, for `README.Rmd` and all vignettes
`detect_print_and_cat()`	`detect_print_and_cat("R/foo.R", fix = TRUE)`	Find (and fix) CRAN-unsafe `print()` and `cat()` calls
`package_print_and_cat()`	`package_print_and_cat(fix = TRUE)`	Same, across `R/` and `tests/testthat/`
`detect_lost_glue_brace()`	`detect_lost_glue_brace("R/foo.R")`	Find lost braces in `glue` and `cli` strings
`package_lost_glue_brace()`	`package_lost_glue_brace()`	Same, across `R/` and `tests/testthat/`
`detect_unmatched_nocov_marker()`	`detect_unmatched_nocov_marker("R/foo.R")`	Find unmatched `# nocov` markers in one file
`package_unmatched_nocov_marker()`	`package_unmatched_nocov_marker()`	Same, across `R/`
`detect_fn_arg_path()`	`detect_fn_arg_path("R/foo.R")`	Find default `path` or `file` arguments in exported functions
`package_fn_arg_path()`	`package_fn_arg_path()`	Same, across exported functions of the package
`check_pkgdown_reference()`	`check_pkgdown_reference()`	Check that every export appears in `_pkgdown.yml`
`check_sysdeps()`	`check_sysdeps(c("libpng-dev"))`	Check whether system libraries are installed
`check_air_installed()`	`check_air_installed()`	Check that the `air` formatter is on the `PATH`
`flir_fix()`	`flir_fix("R/foo.R")`	Fix R code with `flir`
`use_air_table()`	`use_air_table("R/foo.R", ncol = 3)`	Lay out long `c()` and `list()` calls as aligned tables with `air`
`air_format()`	`air_format("R/foo.R")`	Deprecated; format R code with `air`

Manage `NEWS.md`

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`news_md_add_entry()`	`news_md_add_entry("Added a new feature.", category = "NEW FEATURES")`	Add an entry, creating the version section when needed
`news_md_show()`	`news_md_show(version = "latest")`	Print `NEWS.md`, optionally filtered to one version
`news_md_check()`	`news_md_check()`	Deprecated; validate the `NEWS.md` format

Set up and maintain packages

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`use_zzz()`	`use_zzz()`	Create `R/<pkg>-package.R` from a template
`use_r_v4.1.0()`	`use_r_v4.1.0()`	Add `R (>= 4.1.0)` to `Depends`
`use_url()`	`use_url()`	Set `URL` from the git remote, plus an optional pkgdown URL
`use_bugreports()`	`use_bugreports()`	Set `BugReports` from the git remote
`use_vendor()`	`use_vendor("wurli/pedant", "R/utils.R")`	Vendor permissively licensed code from GitHub
`add_global_rbuildignore()`	`add_global_rbuildignore()`	Add the global `.Rbuildignore` patterns
`add_global_gitgnore()`	`add_global_gitgnore()`	Add a GitHub-style global `.gitignore`
`use_jarl()`	`use_jarl()`	Create a `jarl.toml` configuration
`use_clangd()`	`use_clangd()`	Create a `.clangd` configuration with Rcpp include paths
`use_tidy_addin()`	`use_tidy_addin("my_addin", "Open my gadget")`	Register an exported function in the RStudio Addins menu
`use_workflow_version_update()`	`use_workflow_version_update()`	Add the version-bumper GitHub Actions workflow
`use_workflow_test_branch()`	`use_workflow_test_branch()`	Add a workflow that syncs `main` to the `test` branch
`use_workflow_rust_compatible_check()`	`use_workflow_rust_compatible_check()`	Add a Rust-compatible R-CMD-check workflow
`open_cffinit()`	`open_cffinit()`	Open the `cffinit` `CITATION.cff` generator in the browser

README and documentation

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`badge_to_readme()`	`badge_to_readme(badge)`	Insert a badge into the README badges block
`badge_translated_by_ai()`	`badge_translated_by_ai(lang = "zh-cn")`	Generate an AI-translation disclaimer badge
`use_multilanguage_readme()`	`use_multilanguage_readme("zh-cn")`	Create translated README files and their badges
`render_rmd()`	`render_rmd("README.Rmd")`	Render an `.Rmd` or `.R` file to Markdown
`use_hexsticker()`	`use_hexsticker("man/figures/logo.png")`	Deprecated; add a hex sticker to the README title

Standalone files

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`create_standalone()`	`create_standalone("my_utils")`	Create a standalone file with a YAML header
`check_standalone()`	`check_standalone("R/standalone-my_utils.R")`	Check the format of a standalone file
`update_time_in_standalone()`	`update_time_in_standalone()`	Refresh the last-updated field of standalone files
`add_changelog_in_standalone()`	`add_changelog_in_standalone("R/standalone-my_utils.R", "Fix a bug")`	Add or update a changelog entry
`inquire_standalone()`	`inquire_standalone("r-lib", "rlang")`	List the standalone files of a GitHub repository
`browse_standalone()`	`browse_standalone()`	Search GitHub for standalone files shipped by R packages

Utilities

Function	Quick usage	Purpose
`current_packages()`	`current_packages()`	Packages whose calls should be qualified
`imported_functions()`	`imported_functions()`	Function names imported in `NAMESPACE`
`is_dev_context()`	`is_dev_context()`	Whether the working directory is package development
`get_positron_version()`	`get_positron_version()`	Version of the running Positron IDE

Addin

After v0.1.23, rpkgkit ships an addin that can be used in RStudio. It’s available in the Addins menu, and can be accessed by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).

If you want to use addins in Positron, you can use Positron R Wizard extension.

AI skills

rpkgkit ships an agent skill that tells coding agents when to reach for rpkgkit and how to call it. It follows the Agent Skills layout, so it works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Positron, and other compatible agents:

npx skills add WangLabCSU/rpkgkit --skill rpkgkit

Add -g to install it for every project, and -a <agent> to skip the agent prompt. The skill source lives in skills/rpkgkit/.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people and projects:

The authors of the pedant package — Jacob Scott, Christopher T. Kenny, and Sebastian Lammers — whose code is included (under MIT license) in R/vendor-pedant.R.
The authors of the pkgdev package — Diego Hernangómez — whose code is included (under MIT license) in R/vendor-pkgdev.R.
All contributors and users who have reported issues, suggested features, or helped improve the package.

rpkgkit