Excel-like user interface in Shiny, is "rhabdsontable" still under maintenenace?

shiny
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#1

Hi everyone,

In my company we are just starting a new project where we would need a web-based, Excel-like user interface, where users need to maintain and correct long lists of data (i.e. up to 60,000 lines with 120 columns). Required features include "Formulas for cell calculation", "Data validation of entries", "Freezing of columuns and rows", "color-coding", "etc."

Since there is a lot of auomatic data wrangling happening before and after users work with these lists, I would prefere a complete R solution for this project.

This would mean that also this "Excel-User-Interface" would need to be realized in Shiny.

My question is now how to go about this and what packages to use?

I have looked into rhandsontable (which seems to fulfill the requirements) but when I look into github then I see that the last change is from 2021 (and for a new project I don't want to start using a package that might no longer be maintained).

Therefore three questions:

  1. Is "rhandsontable" still under maintenance?

  2. What is your experience with this package? Can you guys recommend it for professional usage in a corporate environment?

  3. Or are there alternatives that you could suggest?

Thanks and Best!

#2

Just fyi (maybe you already are aware of it):

Since Handsontable version 7.0.0 the software is no longer free for commercial use:

#3

Hi ismirsehregal,

Thanks for pointing this out!

I was actually already aware about this change and this exactly why I am asking here:

  • Not because of the commercial usage license itself (I think my company can most likely cover that),

  • but the question for me is whether or no the "rhandson" package (which is a wrapper for handsontable) is still activeky maintained?

  • My fear is that if the wrapper is no longer maintained (e.g. because the community interest has died down due to the commercial license), then I actully can't use this package in a productive environment.

If this is the case: Do you maybe have any suggestions for an alternative that can provide similar functionalties for inputting data?

Thanks and Best!
Rasmus

#4

Why this is the case seems non-obvious. if you test it and it works for your usecase, why not use it ?
to the degree that its code is open; you could maintain it; or your company could pay for someone to maintain it. If its not broken it wouldnt need fixing though....

#5

Hi nirgrahamuk,

I think that I can convince my company to contribute to the package development - I mean that's the whole idea of open source, isn't it? :smile:

However, I am not so confident whether we can take over the full package responsibility "alone" ... then the cost benefit analysis will simply say: "Go to another package". Or if there is nothing availble for Shiny: "Use another platform".

That's why I am checking whether there is still an active community around this package.

Thanks and Best!

#6

I guess only the package authors will be able to answer, whether they remain committed to the project. In my eyes it is not uncommon for mature packages to remain stale for a while. Why don't you file an issue here?

Regarding alternatives, you might want to check the following links:

#7

Hello ismirsehregal,

I had written to the maintainer of rhandsontable and he just told me that the rhandspackage was pretty much frozen two years ago with the last version that could be used commercially free.

Thanks for sharing he links above, it pretty helped already a lot to widen my view.

I guess the only package, where siginificant activity is happening seems to be DT.

However, it doesn't have all the features I need, so I need to think about how to deal with that.

Thanks anyway!

#8

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