The shinyelectron package (CRAN, GitHub, documentation) exports a Shiny application written in R or Python as a standalone desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The core entry point is export(appdir, destdir): it autodetects the app type, defaults to the shinylive strategy, and wraps the result in an Electron shell, so a minimal call needs no other arguments. Depending on the runtime strategy you choose, the people you hand the installer to may not need R or Python installed at all.
As of August 7, it is on CRAN. That is the news in this release:
install.packages("shinyelectron")There are no new features in v0.2.1. It is v0.2.0 with the changes CRAN review asked for, so the version that landed on CRAN is the one described in reintroducing shinyelectron: R and Python apps built interchangeably, five runtime strategies ranging from an offline WebAssembly build to a Docker container, several apps bundled behind one launcher, and signing and notarization so the result opens without a Gatekeeper warning. If you are meeting the package for the first time, start there.
One change is worth knowing about if you are upgrading: wizard() now requires its appdir argument, where it used to default to the working directory.
Installation
install.packages("shinyelectron")The development version installs from GitHub:
# install.packages("pak")
pak::pak("coatless-rpkg/shinyelectron")For details, see the shinyelectron news file entry below:
shinyelectron news file entry for version 0.2.1
- Examples for functions that install a runtime, launch an app, or clear the cache now run only in interactive sessions.
- The Download Prebuilt Demos guide moved from a bundled vignette to the package website, and outdated external documentation links were refreshed.
wizard()now requires theappdirargument instead of defaulting to the working directory.
References
- shinyelectron on CRAN, the released package.
- shinyelectron on GitHub, the package source repository.
- shinyelectron documentation, the package documentation site.
- Reintroducing shinyelectron, the tour of everything v0.2.0 added.
- The v0.2.0 release notes, the full changelog for the feature release.
- R, the R language.
- Python, the Python language.
- shinylive, Shiny compiled to run in the browser.
- Electron, the framework for desktop apps built with web technology.
- Docker, the container runtime.
pak, the package installer used for the development version.