README.md

In ocelhay/shinybox: Create Standalone R-Shiny Apps

Create Standalone R-Shiny Apps using the Electron framework.

Requirements

Node.js and npm

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime environment that runs on the V8 engine and executes JavaScript code outside a web browser. Wikipedia. npm is a package manager for the JavaScript language. npm is the default package manager for the JavaScript runtime environment Node.js.

Perform (once per machine) an installation of nodejs and npm (https://nodejs.org/en/). We recommend that you use the latest LTS version available.

You can check in your shell:

node -v
npm -v

You might need to (tested on Windows 11):

• update core-js with the following command: npm install --save core-js@^3
• install CLI for webpack with npm install -D webpack-cli
• install fs-jetpack with npm install fs-jetpack
• install webpack-node-externals with npm install webpack-node-externals

R and shinybox

• R 4.2.0 or latest
• this package shinybox that can be installed with:

remotes::install_github("ocelhay/shinybox", ref = "master", upgrade = "never")

• (optional) install Rtools42 for Windows if you use R 4.2.x

shiny app that you want to build

The shiny app should be organised as an R package. See https://mastering-shiny.org/scaling-packaging.html. Optionaly, a folder named "icons" located in the "inst" folder containing images to be used as shortcut image of the app: icons.icns for macOS and icons.pgn for Windows.

An example app is provided: https://github.com/ocelhay/shinybox/tree/master/misc/shinyboxtestapp

Building steps

The main shinybox function will attenpt at create an Electron app. It undertakes the following steps:

• check function arguments and fail early if something is wrong.
• check Node.js and npm.
• copy Electron app template into the build path.
• edit package.json (Electron app template).
• install R in the build path. You could be prompted for authorisation to install. (Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?)
• install the shiny app and all package dependencies.
• trim R.
• modify background.js (Electron app template)
• build the Electron app

Build test app on Windows

library(shinybox)

build_path <- "C:/Users/olivi/Desktop/"

shinybox(
  app_name = "HAL",
  author = "Stanley K.",
  description = "Heuristically Programmed ALgorithmic Computer",
  semantic_version = "v1.0.0",
  cran_like_url = "https://cran.r-project.org",
  git_host = "github",
  git_repo = "ocelhay/shinybox/misc/shinyboxtestapp",
  function_name = "run_app", 
  package_install_opts = list(type = "binary"),
  build_path = build_path,
  nodejs_path = "C:/Program Files/nodejs/",
  run_build = TRUE)
 ```


## Build test app on macOS

library(shinybox)

shinyboxtestapp, macOS

build_path <- "/Users/olivier/Desktop" dir.create(build_path)

shinybox( app_name = "HAL", author = "Stanley K.", description = "Heuristically Programmed ALgorithmic Computer", semantic_version = "v1.0.0", cran_like_url = "https://cran.r-project.org", mac_r_url = "https://mac.r-project.org/high-sierra/R-4.1-branch/x86_64/R-4.1-branch.tar.gz", git_host = "github", git_repo = "ocelhay/shinybox/misc/shinyboxtestapp", function_name = "run_app", package_install_opts = list(type = "binary"), build_path = build_path, rtools_path_win = NULL, nodejs_path = "/usr/local/bin/", run_build = TRUE) ```

ocelhay/shinybox documentation built on May 24, 2022, 10:42 p.m.