Building Data Apps with R and Shiny: Essential Training

Learn how to develop data-driven web apps using the R language and Shiny.

Introduction

• Build, test, and deploy apps easily in Shiny
• Course organization and prerequisites

1. Introducing Shiny

• What is Shiny?
• What are data apps?
• Why build data apps with Shiny?
• Run Shiny apps on your own machine
• Quit Shiny apps on your local machine
• Deploying apps to shinyapps.io
• Deploying apps with Shiny Server

2. Single and Split-File Shiny Apps

• Single file apps with shinyApp
• Split-file apps
• What belongs in the ui.R file?
• What belongs in the server.R file?

3. Shiny Apps 101

• Creating a simple Shiny app from scratch
• Understanding input$var and output$plot
• Render and output functions
• Using the session argument
• Never duplicate inputs or outputs

4. Data Tables in Shiny

• Choose a table solution
• Static tables with renderTable
• Static tables with kableExtra
• Interactive tables with DT

5. Getting Data into Your Shiny Apps

• Shiny apps and data 101
• Include data files in a Shiny app
• Shiny and packages that connect to API
• Shiny and .httr-oauth files
• Shiny and R environmental variables

6. Data-Driven Controls

• Populate pull-down menus from data
• Labeling choices in selectInput
• Interdependent controls to filter data
• Control app updates with actionButton

7. Allow Users to Upload and Download Data

• Allow users to download data from an app
• Download data from DT tables
• Allow users to upload data to an app
• Use rhandsontable to collect data

8. Problem-Solving in Shiny Apps

• Problem-solving in Shiny apps 101
• Printing to the R console in Shiny apps
• Debug apps with shinyjs::runcodeUI
• Using reactlog to debug Shiny apps

9. Making Shiny Apps Beautiful

• Applying custom CSS to Shiny apps
• Inserting images into Shiny apps
• Show loading spinners in Shiny apps

10. Deploying Shiny Apps

• Where can you deploy Shiny apps?
• Connecting RStudio with shinyapps.io
• Managing Shiny apps with rsconnect
• Programmatically deploying apps

Conclusion

• Next steps