r.shiny.template

This repository contains a template for a Golem-based Shiny application, including automation for R CMD checks and deployment to shinyapps.io via GitHub Actions.

Package version management

This project uses a snapshot approach to package management for reproducibility. Packages are pinned to the CRAN snapshot that was available when the R version in use was released. This ensures consistent package versions across development environments and CI/CD pipelines.

Locally, the snapshot repository is configured automatically via .Rprofile when the project is opened in RStudio or Positron (triggered by the .Rproj file). The same approach is applied in CI/CD workflows—the .github/actions/capture-cran-snapshot composite action determines the snapshot URL based on the R release date and configures it before installing dependencies.

Required environment variables

The GitHub Actions workflow expects the following secrets to be configured in the repository settings under Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions:

• SHINYAPPS_NAME: The shinyapps.io account identifier (for example, your-account-name).
• SHINYAPPS_TOKEN: The API token generated for the account, retrieved via rsconnect::showTokens() or the shinyapps.io dashboard.
• SHINYAPPS_SECRET: The API secret paired with the token; treat this as sensitive and never commit it to source control.

Add each value as an individual secret to enable the deployment step in .github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml.

Customisation

Update DESCRIPTION file

Edit DESCRIPTION to reflect your application:

• Package: Change from whitelabel to your app name (must match YOUR_APP_NAME in the badge above).
• Title: Update with a concise title describing your Shiny app.
• Authors@R: Replace the author details with your own name, role, and email.
• Description: Provide a one-paragraph description of what your application does.

Update the deployed app badge

Replace the badge URL in README.md (near the top under the title) with your own deployed shinyapps.io link:

[![Shiny App](https://img.shields.io/badge/shinyapps.io-SHINYAPPS_APPNAME-1f65cc?logo=rstudio&logoColor=white)](https://SHINYAPPS_NAME.shinyapps.io/SHINYAPPS_APPNAME/)

• Replace SHINYAPPS_APPNAME with the name of your application as listed in DESCRIPTION.
• Replace SHINYAPPS_NAME with the shinyapps.io account identifier.

Change the R version

The CI/CD workflows are configured to use a specific R version (currently 4.5.1) that should ideally match the version used for local development. To update the R version:

1. Search the .github directory for both formats of the current version:
   • Dotted format: 4.5.1
   • Hyphenated format: 4-5-1
2. Replace all occurrences with your desired R version in the corresponding format (e.g., 4.6.0 and 4-6-0).
3. Update occurs in:
   • .github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml (appears in r-version and cache-version)
   • .github/workflows/deploy-shinyapps.yaml (appears in r-version and cache-version)

This ensures that both testing and deployment use the same R version and package snapshot date.