quarto-webr v0.3.5 Released - Rocking the Monaco!

software-releases
quarto
webr
Author

TheCoatlessProfessor

Published

September 17, 2023

The latest version of quarto-webr extension v0.3.5 comes just before we have our first public talk on the extension at the Posit::conf(2023L) Conference! This release brings a number of new features and bug fixes to the extension that make it easier to use and more powerful. Primarily, we’ve moved away from using the service-worker communication channel to using automatic as the default communication channel. This change allows for easier setup and better performance without worrying about files like webr-serviceworker.js and webr-worker.js. Additionally, we’ve added the ability to modify code cells appearances from the rendered document using the context option. This feature is useful for hiding code cells that are used for setup or other purposes.

We’ve further improved the extension by adding a new documentation website that provides a more detailed overview of the extension and its features. The website is available at: https://quarto-webr.thecoatlessprofessor.com.

For more details on the changes, please see the news entry below

quarto-webr news file entry for version 0.3.5 (2023-09-17)

Features

  • New documentation website is available at: https://quarto-webr.thecoatlessprofessor.com
  • Document option channel-type sets the communication channel webR uses.
    • channel-type: automatic (default): Communicates using either shared-array-buffer or service-worker.
    • channel-type: shared-buffer-array: Fastest communication option, but requires setting up HTTP headers.
    • channel-type: service-worker: Slower communication option and requires worker scripts to be next to the rendered document.
    • channel-type: post-message: Easiest setup option at the expense of being unable to interrupt the R process or accept user-input.
  • Code cell option context controls whether the code and output are shown or suppressed.
    • context: interactive(default) shows both code and output.
    • context: setup suppresses both code and output.
    • context: output suppresses code but shows its output.
    • To use the new hidden code cell feature, the code cell needs #| context: <value> like so:
```{webr-r}
#| context: setup

my_hidden_variable = 11
```

Bugfixes

  • Fixed webR status indicator appearing outside of the header. (#33)
  • Fixed button styling difference between standalone documents and website-based documents.

Documentation

  • Created the docs folder inside the repository to host the documentation website.
  • Moved documentation from the README.md file onto separate web pages.
    • Acknowledgements now has a dedicated page thanking contributors and collaborators.
    • Developer resources expands on the reference resources.
    • Using R packages describes the best practices for using R’s ecosystem of extensions
    • Customization Options describes the document level options available to be set in document’s YAML field.
  • Added new documentation entries for hidden code cell evaluation and communication channels.
  • Added a rendered version of the README example to the website.
  • Incorporated additional examples into the “Exploring Interactive Code Cells” demo document.

Deployment

  • Added a Quarto action to render and publish the documentation website.
  • Added issue templates for feature requests and bug fixes.
  • Symlink the _extension directory into docs to avoid needing to add the extension on each render.

GitHub Changelog