How to install a Shiny App (new user)

shiny
#1

Hi, I'm trying to install this SHINY app from here (https://www.biorxiv.org/highwire/filestream/70899/field_highwire_adjunct_files/0/231878-1.zip) associated with a new paper. I've downloaded the SHINY app and installed R-Studio Server (on Ubuntu 16.04). I've installed SHINY in my R-Studio Server environment (?).

I'm an experience Ubuntu/Linux user, but am very new to R. I do not understand how to get the downloaded ZIP file into R-Studio Server (at all). Please help with VERY basic instructions. The SHINY webpage seems to be geared to application development and not actual use of built apps, or else I can't find the HOWTO guide.

Also, what is the "app.R script" and where would I find it/how do I invoke it?

Thanks,
Andor

#2

This app doesn't have an app.R file - rather, it's split out into ui.R and server.R. You will need to unzip the file and move its contents into a folder which will serve as your working directory. Then, in RStudio, open ui.R and server.R.

Run the library commands at the top of server.R (best way is to uncomment them and send to console). If you get errors, you will need to install the packages that you don't already have. You do this as install.packages(c("packagea", "packageb")) etc. Then recomment them per author instructions.

Once all packages are installed, click the "Run App" button.

That should get you started - the app will launch, but I'm getting errors. It may be because of package conflicts or some other reason which I don't have the time to debug right now. If I have a chance later, I'll come back to this post and see what other help I can give.

Hope this helps get you started!

1 Like
#3

Okay, thanks - this should get me pointed in the right direction.

  • Andor
#4

Third sentence & I'm stuck. What do you mean by "OPEN"?

#5

Nevermind, got it working. Question: Should the window that gets spawned look "grey" or does that mean something is wrong?

#6

Grey means something's wrong. Check the console in RStudio for errors.

1 Like
#7

Oky, there were a bunch of file/directry permission errors, but all seems to be okay now. Still grey...Hmmm

#8

OKAY. Much further progress using CHROME than FF...AAARRRRHHHHHH!!!!!!