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Export a generated app as a static website (experimental)

Source: R/create_app.R, R/export_static.R
export_static.Rd

Converts an app folder written by generate_shiny() or build_app() into static files that run R in the reader's browser through 'shinylive' (WebAssembly R). The result can be served by any static web host that supports HTTPS, such as GitHub Pages, or opened from localhost; no Shiny server is needed.

Usage

export_static(
  app_dir,
  dest_dir,
  subdir = "",
  overwrite = FALSE,
  precompute = TRUE,
  include_sources = FALSE
)

Arguments

app_dir

Folder of a generated metaUI app.

dest_dir

Folder for the static site. Must not exist unless overwrite = TRUE.

subdir

Optional subfolder of dest_dir for this app, so that several apps can share one set of WebAssembly assets.

overwrite

Replace an existing app in dest_dir/subdir? A nonempty target must contain shinylive-sw.js, or both app.json and index.html, identifying a previous export. Otherwise use an empty folder. Replacement deletes the entire target, including hand edits and unrelated files. With subdir, only that app subfolder is deleted; without it, all of dest_dir is deleted and rewritten. Keep hand edits in the editable app folder.

precompute

Show precomputed default Summary results while the interactive app loads? Failures warn and export the interactive app alone. No browser is required.

include_sources

Bundle exact copyleft package, R and webR source archives in dest_dir/sources/? Recommended for archival deposits such as Zenodo. Live sites can use the source links in bundled-packages.csv instead.

Value

The path of the exported app, invisibly.

Details

Use generate_shiny(static_folder = ...) for one-step generation and static export. After editing the generated app files, call export_static() to re-export the edited app; regenerating would overwrite those edits.

The app folder is left unchanged. The export appends a small script to the copied www/metaui.js so that selection links and downloads work inside the shinylive frame, bundles WebAssembly builds of all required R packages, and writes STATIC-NOTICE.md and bundled-packages.csv with the versions and licences of the bundled software.

By default, the generated server computes the initial Summary at export time. Readers see these results with disabled controls while the interactive app loads. Selection links skip the preview. Export provenance is stored in metaui-preview/provenance.json. Readers download about 140 MB; models fit more slowly than on a server. The dataset is shipped to every reader, so only export data that may be published.

When apps share dest_dir, their package inventories, notices and About tables describe the shared runtime: they can include packages used only by another app. They are inventories of available software, not proof that each app uses every package. include_sources collects the union of copyleft packages in the shared runtime, preserving earlier source archives.

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
export_static("my-app", "my-app-static")
# Preview locally (service workers need https or localhost):
httpuv::runStaticServer("my-app-static")
} # }