R ShinyApps: Dynamic module import causes app to render wrong tab - r

I am having a shiny app that is heavily relying on modules. Basically it's a big navbarPage with different menus and tabs where every tab is wrapped as a module. Below I provided a minimal example with 2 tabs, but in reality there are more than 20.
# module 1 ------------------------------------------------
moduleOneUI <- function(id) {
ns = NS(id)
tagList(
h2("module1"),
textOutput(ns("text"))
)
}
moduleOne <- function(input, output, session) {
output$text <- renderText({"one yo"})
}
# module 2 ------------------------------------------------
moduleTwoUI <- function(id) {
ns = NS(id)
tagList(
h2("module2"),
textOutput(ns("text"))
)
}
moduleTwo <- function(input, output, session) {
output$text <- renderText({"two yo"})
}
# main app ------------------------------------------------
ui <- navbarPage(
"dashboard",
navbarMenu(
"#1",
tabPanel(
"mod1",
uiOutput("module_one")
)
),
navbarMenu(
"#2",
tabPanel(
"mod2",
uiOutput("module_two")
)
)
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
output$module_one <- renderUI({
moduleOneUI("module_one")
})
callModule(moduleOne, "module_one")
output$module_two <- renderUI({
moduleTwoUI("module_two")
})
callModule(moduleTwo, "module_two")
}
shinyApp(ui, server)
As you might see the server function gets very large with this hard coded server function. So I tried to create it in a more dynamic way using a loop:
modules <- list(
module_one = c(ui = moduleOneUI, server = moduleOne),
module_two = c(ui = moduleTwoUI, server = moduleTwo)
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
for (mod_id in names(modules)) {
module <- modules[[mod_id]]
ui_func <- module$ui
server_func <- module$server
output[[mod_name]] <- renderUI({
ui_func(mod_id)
})
callModule(server_func, mod_id)
}
}
However, this approach fails to work as expected. Now I see the moduleTwo code rendered in my module_one tab:
Does any1 know why this is happening and how I can fix it? I really need a dynamic approach to render all those modules.

The two renderUI expressions aren't evaluated until after the loop completes and mod_id = "module_two".
To get around this, you can create a local scope for each loop iteration:
for (mod_id in names(modules)) {
local({
mod_id <- mod_id
module <- modules[[mod_id]]
ui_func <- module$ui
server_func <- module$server
output[[mod_id]] <- renderUI({
ui_func(mod_id)
})
callModule(server_func, mod_id)
})
}

I seem to have found a solution for that problem. If I define a function that calls the module everything works as expected.
create_tab <- function(mod_id, output) {
module <- modules[[mod_id]]
ui_func <- module$ui
server_func <- module$server
output[[mod_id]] <- renderUI({
ui_func(mod_id)
})
callModule(server_func, mod_id)
}
server <- function(input, output, session) {
lapply(names(modules), create_tab, output = output)
}
However, I have no idea why this is working and the other approach isn't. I assume it has something to do with scoping in R.

Related

How to access reactive value in parent module?

What I want to achieve is to get access to the reactive value passed to a parent module from a child module. The reproducible example below shows the idea. When i click the button in mod_server_btn then its value should be printed out in the console (from within parent module):
library(shiny)
mod_ui_btn <- function(id, label = "ui1UI") {
ns <- NS(id)
shinyUI(fluidPage(
actionButton(ns("confirm"), "Submit", class='btn-primary')
))
}
mod_server_btn <- function(input, output, session) {
cond <- reactive({ input$confirm})
return(cond)
}
ui =fluidPage(
mod_ui_btn("test"),
uiOutput("example")
)
server=shinyServer(function(input, output, session) {
value <- callModule(mod_server_btn,"test")
print(value)
#print(value$cond) # these 3 don't work either
#print(value()$cond)
#print(value())
})
shinyApp(ui=ui,server=server)
However, it doesn't work. When I click the button then I got a text: reactive({input$confirm}) in the console and it's not what I want, I need to access button value. General question is - is it possible at all to get access to reactive value in a parent module?
EDIT: #rbasa, #YBS thanks for your answers. In fact in my real app I need to return more than one reactive value to parent module. Below is slightly changed code - I added second button in mod_ui_btn - now I need to return values from both buttons to the server module. I made a list of reactives but can't get access to them using observe or output$example <-:
library(shiny)
mod_ui_btn <- function(id, label = "ui1UI") {
ns <- NS(id)
shinyUI(fluidPage(
actionButton(ns("confirm"), "Submit", class='btn-primary'),
actionButton(ns("confirm2"), "Submit2", class='btn-primary')
))
}
mod_server_btn <- function(input, output, session) {
return(
list(
cond = reactive({ input$confirm}),
cond2 = reactive({ input$confirm2})
)
)
}
ui =fluidPage(
mod_ui_btn("test"),
verbatimTextOutput("example"),
verbatimTextOutput("example2")
)
server=shinyServer(function(input, output, session) {
value <- callModule(mod_server_btn,"test")
output$example <- renderPrint(value$cond)
output$example2 <- renderPrint(value$cond2)
observe({
print(value$cond) #this is how I usually catch reactives - by their name
print(value$cond2)
})
})
shinyApp(ui=ui,server=server)
I usually use return(list(..some reactive values)) to return more than one ractive value to other module and catch then using their names in parent module. Here it doesn't work even if I use observe. No value is returned.
You can access with value(). I would recommend to change your mod_server_btn to the one shown below, and notice the call in server. EDIT: updated for multiple variables. Try this
library(shiny)
mod_ui_btn <- function(id, label = "ui1UI") {
ns <- NS(id)
shinyUI(fluidPage(
actionButton(ns("confirm"), "Submit", class='btn-primary'),
actionButton(ns("confirm2"), "Submit2", class='btn-primary')
))
}
mod_server_btn <- function(id) {
moduleServer(id, function(input, output, session) {
return(
list(
cond = reactive(input$confirm),
cond2 = reactive(input$confirm2)
)
)
})
}
ui =fluidPage(
mod_ui_btn("test"),
verbatimTextOutput("example"),
verbatimTextOutput("example2")
)
server=shinyServer(function(input, output, session) {
# value <- callModule(mod_server_btn,"test")
value <- mod_server_btn("test")
output$example <- renderPrint(value$cond())
output$example2 <- renderPrint(value$cond2())
observe({
print(value$cond()) #this is how I usually catch reactives - by their name
print(value$cond2())
})
})
shinyApp(ui=ui,server=server)

Shiny Module for Displaying a Table

Getting started with shiny, I try to learn how to use the Shiny Module design pattern. As the most simple example, I want to display a dataset without any further interaction.
I wish to organise the UI in tabPanels of a navbarPage. Each panel is independent from each other, (except that all panels use a global database connection objects, but this does not bother me now).
Here is the code for the DT GUI element:
library(shiny)
library(DT)
tabTable <- function(id) {
ns <- shiny::NS(id)
tabPanel(
"Table",
shiny::dataTableOutput(ns("table"))
)
}
This is the server logic. I want it to draw the data table.
srvTable <- function(id, dat) shiny::moduleServer(id,
function(input, output, session) {
output$table <- shiny::renderDataTable({DT::datatable(dat)})
}
)
Now here is the definition of the ui and the server:
ui <- shiny::navbarPage(title="Test",
tabTable(id="iris"),
shiny::tabPanel(title="Scatter")
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
srvTable(id="iris", dat=iris)
session$onSessionEnded(stopApp)
}
shiny::shinyApp(ui, server)
This app starts, it displays the navigation bar, but it does not show the dataset. Any hint where I put the command for that? The problem for me is that there is no obvious condition that the server module needs to react to. What is to do in this case?
Try this
library(shiny)
library(DT)
tabTable <- function(id) {
ns <- shiny::NS(id)
tabPanel(
"Table",
DTOutput(ns("table"))
)
}
srvTable <- function(id, dat) { shiny::moduleServer(id,
function(input, output, session) {
output$table <- renderDT({DT::datatable(dat)})
}
)}
ui <- shiny::navbarPage(title="Test",
tabTable(id="iris"),
shiny::tabPanel(title="Scatter")
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
srvTable(id="iris", dat=iris)
session$onSessionEnded(stopApp)
}
shiny::shinyApp(ui, server)

Shiny modules: Destroy module ui if server-function fails

How to display a blank UI (alternatively destroy module UI), if the module server-function fails, without moving all the UI-code to the server function?
Simple reproducible example:
library(shiny)
my_module_ui <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
tags$div(
tags$h1("Don't show me if my_module_server fails!"),
plotOutput(ns("my_plot"))
)
}
my_module_server <- function(input, output, session) {
tryCatch({
my_data <- cars * "A" # fail for demo
# my_data <- cars
output$my_plot <- renderPlot({
cars2 <- my_data + rnorm(nrow(my_data))
plot(cars2)
})
}, error=function(cond) {
message("Destroy UI here!")
})
}
ui <- fluidPage(
my_module_ui("my_id")
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
callModule(my_module_server, "my_id")
}
shinyApp(ui, server)
My current solution is to have nothing but a uiOutput() in my_module_ui and render the entire ui in the server function. I want to prevent this, since large modules get very messy if all UI-components are placed within the module server-function.
In addition I would preferably also like to avoid returning values from callModule() that destroy the UI and do this from within the server-function instead.
Thanks!
How about you assign a value to the session object and evaluate this value before you create the UI (from server side via renderUI().
1) Move rendering of UI to server side
Use renderUI(my_module_ui("my_id")) on server side and uiOutput("module") on ui side.
2) To detect whether your server module was successful assign a value to the session object
my_module_server <- function(input, output, session) {
tryCatch({
...
session$userData$mod_server <- TRUE
}, error = function(cond) {
session$userData$mod_server <- NULL
})
}
3) Use this value to make the call of your module ui conditional
output$module <- renderUI({
callModule(my_module_server, "my_id")
if(!is.null(session$userData$mod_server)) my_module_ui("my_id")
})
Reproducible example:
library(shiny)
my_module_ui <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
tags$div(
tags$h1("Don't show me if my_module_server fails!"),
plotOutput(ns("my_plot"))
)
}
my_module_server <- function(input, output, session) {
tryCatch({
my_data <- cars * "A" # fail for demo
# my_data <- cars
output$my_plot <- renderPlot({
cars2 <- my_data + rnorm(nrow(my_data))
plot(cars2)
})
session$userData$mod_server <- TRUE
}, error = function(cond) {
session$userData$mod_server <- NULL
})
}
ui <- fluidPage(
uiOutput("module")
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
output$module <- renderUI({
callModule(my_module_server, "my_id")
if(!is.null(session$userData$mod_server)) my_module_ui("my_id")
})
}
shinyApp(ui, server)
With a little code reordering, and the use of the amazing shinyjs package this can be done.
Note that I added an input to simulate errors and not errors, to see how the UI dissapears. Also all is done in the server part of the module. I hope this will help you. The code has inline comments explaining the steps.
library(shiny)
library(shinyjs)
my_module_ui <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
tagList(
# input added to be able to throw errors and see the ui dissapear
selectInput(
ns('trigger'), 'Error trigger',
choices = list('no error' = c(2,1), 'error' = c('A', 'B')),
selected = 2
),
tags$div(
# div with id, to select it with shinyjs and hide it if necessary
id = ns('hideable_div'),
tags$h1("Don't show me if my_module_server fails!"),
plotOutput(ns("my_plot"))
)
)
}
my_module_server <- function(input, output, session) {
# get all the things prone to error in a reactive call, that way you capture the final
# result or a NULL reactive when an error occurs
foo <- reactive({
tryCatch({
if (input$trigger %in% c(2,1)) {
trigger <- as.numeric(input$trigger)
} else {
trigger <- input$trigger
}
cars * trigger
}, error=function(cond) {
message("Destroy UI here!")
})
})
# obseveEvent based on the error reactive, to check if hide or not the UI
observeEvent(foo(), {
# hide checking if foo is null, using shinyjs
if (is.null(foo())) {
shinyjs::hide('hideable_div')
} else {
shinyjs::show('hideable_div')
}
}, ignoreNULL = FALSE, ignoreInit = FALSE)
# outputs, with validation of the error reactive. That way code after validate is not
# executed but the app does not get blocked (gray)
output$my_plot <- renderPlot({
shiny::validate(
shiny::need(foo(), 'no data')
)
cars2 <- foo() + rnorm(nrow(foo()))
plot(cars2)
})
}
ui <- fluidPage(
# really important for shinyjs tu work!!!!!!!
shinyjs::useShinyjs(),
my_module_ui("my_id")
)
server <- function(input, output, session) {
callModule(my_module_server, "my_id")
}
shinyApp(ui, server)

Passing uiOutput between nested modules

In my app, I have two modules (nested) for which I want to pass uiOuput. In the example below, the output named "screen1" (created in the outer module)has to be passed to the inner module where it will be displayed. But It doesn't work..
Passing such uiOutput work from the original shinyApp to one module but I can't make it works between two modules.
innerUI <- function(id){
ns <- NS(id)
tagList(
h4("Inner module"),
uiOutput(ns('displayScreens'))
)
}
inner <- function(input, output, session, params){
output$displayScreens <- renderUI({
params()
})
}
outerUI <- function(id){
ns <- NS(id)
innerUI(ns('test1'))
}
outer <- function(input, output, session){
rv <- reactiveValues(
test = uiOutput("screen1")
)
callModule(inner, 'test1', params= reactive({rv$test}))
output$screen1 <- renderUI({
h4("I am the screen 1 !")
})
}
ui <- fluidPage(
outerUI('test2')
)
server <- function(input, output, session){
callModule(outer, 'test2')
}
shinyApp(ui=ui, server=server)
Your problem seems to be one with namespaces. You are creating uiOutput("screen1") in outer and passing it to inner without a namespace. You could pass the uiOutput("screen1") in a reactive like this:
test <- reactive({
ns <- session$ns
uiOutput(ns("screen1"))
})
callModule(inner, 'test1', params=test)
This should work.

Shiny Modules not working with renderUI

I am using renderUI to optionally present a Table or Plot based on user selection of the visualization option. I am also using Shiny modules to present the same thing on multiple tabs. While I have gotten Shiny modules to work wonderfully in another app, I am struggling to get it to work with renderUI.
Here is a minimal piece of code that I came up with that shows the problem where nothing gets displayed on either tabs:
myUI <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
fluidRow(
uiOutput(ns('myFinalText'))
)
}
ui <- fluidPage(
tabBox(id = 'myBox', width = 12,
tabPanel('Tab1',
fluidRow(
myUI('tab1')
)),
tabPanel('Tab2',
fluidRow(
myUI('tab2')
))
)
)
myTextFunc <- function(input, output, session, text) {
output$myFinalText <- renderUI({
output$myText <- renderText({text})
textOutput('myText')
})
}
server <- function(input, output, session) {
callModule(myTextFunc, 'tab1', session = session, 'Hello Tab1')
callModule(myTextFunc, 'tab2', session = session, 'Hello Tab2')
}
shinyApp(ui = ui, server = server)
Any thoughts on what else I should be doing to make this work?
Replacing the Shiny module UI function and server functions as follows makes it work fine.
myUI <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
fluidRow(
textOutput(ns('myFinalText'))
)
}
myTextFunc <- function(input, output, session, text) {
output$myFinalText <- renderText({
text
})
}
You can get the namespace from the session object. Change myTextFunc in the initial app like this:
myTextFunc <- function(input, output, session, text) {
ns <- session$ns
output$myFinalText <- renderUI({
output$myText <- renderText({text})
textOutput(ns('myText'))
})
}
You shouldn't call output$ function from another output$ function - it's against Shiny design patterns.
output$myFinalText <- renderUI({
output$myText <- renderText({text})
textOutput(ns('myText'))
})
If you want to know, why it is very bad practice, watch Joe Cheng tutorial about 'Effective reactive programming' from this site: https://www.rstudio.com/resources/webinars/shiny-developer-conference/.
You should use rather reactiveValues or reactive expressions instead. What exactly you should use is dependent from what do you want to achieve, so it's hard to say without detailed example, but according to Joe Cheng everything can be accomplished without nesting outputs or observers.
Sorry for answering my own question...but for others looking for a similar solution, this may be of help.
Here is how I solved for the need to inherit Shiny module namespace on the server side to dynamically render UI. IF there is a better way to solve, please comment or post.
tab1NS <- NS('tab1')
tab2NS <- NS('tab2')
myUI <- function(ns) {
tagList(
fluidRow(
radioButtons(ns('type'), 'Select Visual:',
choices = c('Table' = 'table',
'Plot' = 'plot'))
),
fluidRow(
uiOutput(ns('myCars'))
)
)
}
ui <- fluidPage(
tabBox(id = 'myBox', width = 12,
tabPanel('Tab1',
fluidRow(
myUI(tab1NS)
)),
tabPanel('Tab2',
fluidRow(
myUI(tab2NS)
))
)
)
myTextFunc <- function(input, output, session, cars, ns) {
getMyCars <- reactive({
if (input$type == 'table') {
output$table <- renderDataTable({datatable(cars)})
dataTableOutput(ns('table'))
} else{
output$plot <- renderPlot({
plot(cars$wt, cars$mpg)
})
plotOutput(ns('plot'))
}
})
output$myCars <- renderUI({
getMyCars()
})
}
server <- function(input, output, session) {
callModule(myTextFunc, 'tab1', session = session,
mtcars[mtcars$am == 1, ], tab1NS)
callModule(myTextFunc, 'tab2', session = session,
mtcars[mtcars$am == 0, ], tab2NS)
}
shinyApp(ui = ui, server = server)
Replacing your functions with this renderUI equivalent also works:
myUI <- function(id) {
ns <- NS(id)
fluidRow(
uiOutput(ns('myFinalText'))
)
}
myTextFunc <- function(input, output, session, text) {
output$myFinalText <- renderUI({
text
})
}
Although this obviously does not capture the complexity of what you are really doing. There's something not right about using output$... and textOutput within the renderUI like that. I don't think that is necessary - you don't actually have to use the textOutput function to include text in your output.
EDIT: It occurs to me that the problem has to do with namespaces and modules. When you do output$myText <- renderText(text), the result ends up in the namespace of tab1 or tab2. For example, try changing your textOutput to
textOutput('tab1-myText')
and watch what happens. I think this is why having output$.. variables in your renderUI is problematic. You can access inputs via callModule and that should take care of any namespace issues.

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