How can I background the R process in ESS / Emacs?

Question

I often run long R scripts when I start my R environment. I would like to be able to load / run the R script in Emacs / ESS and continue other work in another buffer.

When I press C-g or C-c C-c the process is interrupted, and I must restart the script.

What is the best way to background the R process in ESS / Emacs?

EDIT: Thank you for your answers and comments, but none of them address the fact that Emacs freezes when you load / run a large script and you can't change buffer.

I suppose my question is a little more general - can Emacs background a process to let you keep working?

Answer 1

M-x R will start an R session (the default buffer name is *R*). If your press M-x R again, a second R session will be started (with buffer name *R:2*).

Each session has its own R process, so you can run a long R script in one and still use the other independently.

Pressing C-x C-b brings up the buffer list, which would allow you to switch between R sessions.

Or, if you put

(global-set-key "\C-cr" 'ess-request-a-process)

in your .emacs initialization file, then every time you press C-c r you will be prompted for which R session (buffer) you wish to switch to. If you only have one session, it will switch there automatically.