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Case Studies: Building Web Applications with Shiny in R

IntermediateSkill Level
4.9+
16 reviews
Updated 06/2022
Practice your Shiny skills while building some fun Shiny apps for real-life scenarios!
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RReporting4 hr16 videos59 Exercises4,850 XP19,162Statement of Accomplishment

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Course Description

After learning the basics of using Shiny to build web applications, this course takes you to the next level by putting your newly acquired skills into practice. You'll get experience developing fun and realistic Shiny apps for different common use cases, such as using Shiny to explore a dataset, generate a customized plot, and even create a word cloud. With all this practice and new knowledge, you will be well-equipped to develop Shiny apps for your own use.

Prerequisites

Building Web Applications with Shiny in R
1

Shiny review

In the first chapter, you'll review the essentials of Shiny development. You'll get reintroduced to the basic structure of a Shiny application, as well as some core Shiny concepts such as inputs, outputs, and reactivity. Completing this chapter will help refresh your Shiny knowledge and ensure you have the required skills to develop Shiny apps for real-life scenarios.
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2

Make the perfect plot using Shiny

Imagine you're preparing a figure for a manuscript using R. You spend a lot of time recreating the same plot over and over again by rerunning the same code but changing small parameters each time. The size of the points, the color of the points, the plot title, the data shown on the plot—these criteria all have to be just right before publishing the figure. To save you from the hassle of rerunning the code many times, you will learn how to create a Shiny app to make a customizable plot.
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3

Explore a dataset interactively with Shiny

Let’s say your supervisor is impressed by the plot you created with Shiny and now wants to get familiar with the dataset you used in the plot. They don't want to simply have a raw data file, they want an interactive environment where they can view the data, filter it, and download it. This chapter will guide you in creating such an application—a Shiny app for exploring the Gapminder dataset.
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4

Create your own word cloud in Shiny

Your friend really likes word clouds and has written an R function to generate them. They want to share this function with all their friends, but not all of them know how to use R. You offer to help by building a Shiny app that uses their function to let people create their own word clouds. This will allow all their friends—even the ones who are unfamiliar with R—to generate word clouds using a point-and-click interface. This chapter will guide you through the steps required to build this app.
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Case Studies: Building Web Applications with Shiny in R
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*4.9
from 16 reviews
94%
6%
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0%
  • Alexandra
    5 days ago

  • Mohammed
    2 months ago

  • Stanislau
    2 months ago

  • Kong Ming
    3 months ago

  • Kelvin
    3 months ago

  • Juan Carlos
    3 months ago

    I just completed 'Case Studies: Building Web Applications with Shiny' on DataCamp, led by Dean Attali. While I initially expected a simple review of the basics, I was impressed by the depth of the case studies.This course moved beyond simple plots and into the territory of Enterprise Tools. Key takeaways that I’m now ready to apply to client projects include:

    • Complex UI Architecture: Designing multi-tab layouts and sidebar structures that stay organized as the app grows.
    • Advanced Reactivity: Mastering isolate() and actionButton() to create 'snappy' user experiences that only calculate when needed.
    • Data Portability: Implementing fileInput() for user data uploads and downloadHandler() to export processed results—the backbone of automation tools.
    • Visual Customization: Integrating CSS and colourInput to move past 'default' designs into professional, branded interfaces.
    Dean’s approach made complex concepts like reactive execution and file paths incredibly intuitive. I’m excited to start leveraging these skills to build more robust, interactive web apps for data-driven decision-making!

Alexandra

Mohammed

Stanislau

FAQs

What Shiny apps will I build in this case studies course?

You will build a customizable plot maker, an interactive data explorer for the Gapminder dataset, and a word cloud generator with a point-and-click interface.

Do I need to complete Building Web Applications with Shiny in R first?

Yes. This course assumes you know the basics of Shiny development. Chapter 1 provides a review, but prior completion of the introductory Shiny course is required.

Does the course cover filtering and downloading data in Shiny?

Yes. The Gapminder data explorer app in Chapter 3 lets users view, filter, and download data interactively within the Shiny interface.

Who is this course designed for?

It is for R users who know basic Shiny and want hands-on practice building realistic applications. The case study format gives you experience with common real-world use cases.

What Shiny concepts are reviewed in the first chapter?

Chapter 1 reviews the basic structure of a Shiny application, including inputs, outputs, and reactivity, ensuring you have the skills needed for the remaining case studies.

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