Atlas is a terminal-native AI coding agent for R in 2026, working across DESCRIPTION-based packages, tidyverse pipelines, and testthat suites. Atlas reads your exported functions, your roxygen2 docblocks, and the packages locked in renv.lock. Atlas converts a for loop to a dplyr or purrr pipeline, adds test_that blocks under tests/testthat/, runs devtools::test() behind a permission prompt, formats the changed files with Air, and regenerates NAMESPACE with roxygen2.
Rewriting an R for loop as a dplyr or purrr pipeline
Converting a for loop to a dplyr or purrr pipeline is the most requested R refactor, and the one most likely to change a grouped result. Atlas plans the tidyverse pipeline first, then proves it with devtools::test() and your testthat suite in 2026.
A for loop that accumulates rows and a dplyr pipeline that groups a data frame are not automatically equivalent in R. NA handling differs, grouping changes what a summary returns, and purrr map functions are strict about type. Atlas drafts a plan in a read-only plan agent and asks before switching to a build agent, so you see the dplyr verbs, the purrr map variant, and the grouping columns before any file in R/ is rewritten. Because Atlas reads the packages locked in renv.lock, the tidyverse pipeline it writes imports only packages your R project has actually pinned.
roxygen2 docblocks, NAMESPACE, and DESCRIPTION consistency
An R package states its contract in three places: the roxygen2 docblocks above each function in R/, the generated NAMESPACE, and the DESCRIPTION file. Atlas reads all three, then regenerates NAMESPACE with roxygen2 after every change so exports stay true.
The classic broken R package has a function whose roxygen2 docblock claims an export and a NAMESPACE that was never regenerated, so the export lives in the documentation and nowhere the loader can see. Atlas closes that loop on every edit. Atlas reads your exported functions and their roxygen2 docblocks, revises the docblock next to the function body in R/, formats the changed files with Air, and then regenerates NAMESPACE with roxygen2 so the generated file agrees with the source you just approved.
Running devtools::test() and the testthat suite behind a permission prompt
Atlas runs devtools::test() on your R package only when you allow it, since every Atlas tool call is permission-gated against 3 rules, allow, ask, and deny. Atlas reads the failing test_that blocks and folds them into the next iteration before it commits.
The hazard in R is silent numeric drift: a rewritten pipeline runs, returns a data frame of the right shape, and quietly produces different numbers. Only the testthat suite catches that. Ask Atlas to add test_that blocks under tests/testthat/ that pin the current output before the refactor starts, then let Atlas run devtools::test() behind a permission prompt. Permission rules draw the boundary: allow devtools::test(), ask before Atlas edits DESCRIPTION or renv.lock, deny anything writing outside the package. Changing renv.lock changes the environment your analysis depends on, so it always prompts.
Searching an R package where every function is called fit or model
R function names in statistical code are short and heavily reused, so grepping fit or model in R/ returns nearly every file. Atlas searches code with hybrid semantic and keyword retrieval fused by reciprocal rank fusion, so a 2026 search returns the function definition you actually meant.
Keyword search alone collapses on an R package, because the vocabulary of statistics is small and repeated. Atlas fuses semantic retrieval with keyword retrieval, so asking where a data frame is reshaped before modelling returns the reshaping function rather than every script that mentions the column. Atlas indexes code by AST declarations using tree-sitter, not blind line windows, so each R function is retrieved as a unit with its formals and roxygen2 docblock attached. Atlas is a terminal-native TUI, running in the same shell where you already call devtools and renv.
Clinical, financial, and unpublished R code stays local with Ollama
R sits next to clinical trial data, credit risk models, and unpublished research, so where the code index is computed is a governance question. Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping code off third-party servers, in 2026.
An R user who will not paste a function into a chat window is following the rules of a regulated study, not being awkward. Building the code index with local Ollama embeddings keeps the embedding pass over your R/ directory on hardware you control. Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for approval before writing, and Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches, so a dplyr rewrite that shifted a grouped summary can be diffed and rolled back. Atlas reads git branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf.
Extending Atlas for an R team
R teams rarely stop at one package, and in 2026 Atlas is extensible through plugins that contribute tools and hook into agent lifecycle events. Atlas also connects to Model Context Protocol servers and exposes their tools to the agent, which suits an R shop with internal data catalogs.
Beyond editing R/ and running the testthat suite, an R group usually has house tooling: an internal validation script, a reporting hook, a data dictionary. Plugins let those become tools the agent can call, and Model Context Protocol servers expose existing internal services without new glue. Atlas fans out work to subagents that can run in the foreground or in parallel background sessions, which helps when the same dplyr change is needed across several packages. Atlas also lets you switch the active model and provider on the fly with favorites and recents, so writing roxygen2 docblocks and reasoning about a statistical method can use different models.
Getting started
- 01Run atlas in a package with a DESCRIPTION file and an R/ directory
- 02Let Atlas read your exported functions, roxygen2 docblocks, and the packages locked in renv.lock
- 03Ask Atlas to convert a for loop to a dplyr or purrr pipeline, or add test_that blocks under tests/testthat/
- 04Let Atlas run devtools::test() behind a permission prompt before it commits
- 05Have Atlas format the changed files with Air, then regenerate NAMESPACE with roxygen2
Frequently asked questions
- does atlas work with r packages and devtools
- Yes. Atlas runs in a package with a DESCRIPTION file and an R/ directory, and it runs devtools::test() behind a permission prompt before it commits.
- can an ai agent convert an r for loop to a dplyr pipeline
- Yes. Ask Atlas to convert a for loop to a dplyr or purrr pipeline. Atlas reads renv.lock first, so the tidyverse pipeline uses packages your project already pinned.
- does atlas read renv.lock
- Yes. Atlas reads the packages locked in renv.lock and will not propose a dependency your locked R environment does not include.
- can atlas write testthat tests for an r package
- Yes. Ask Atlas to add test_that blocks under tests/testthat/, then let Atlas run devtools::test() to confirm the testthat suite passes.
- how do i keep NAMESPACE in sync when an ai agent edits my r package
- Atlas formats the changed files with Air, then regenerates NAMESPACE with roxygen2, so the generated exports match the roxygen2 docblocks in R/.
- is it safe to use an ai coding agent on clinical or unpublished r code
- Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping code off third-party servers, and every tool call is permission-gated against allow, ask, and deny rules.
- can an ai refactor of my r code silently change my results
- A dplyr rewrite can change grouping or NA handling, which is why Atlas adds test_that blocks pinning current behavior and runs devtools::test() before it commits.
Try Atlas in your terminal
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