/
How to create a new function

How to create a new function

19 Jun, 2015

  • Pull dsBase package from github to your machine - this is all the server side datashield functions for base package

  • Pull the dsBaseClient from github to your machine - this contains all the client functions

  • Write R script for server function named in the conventional way xxxDS.R

  • Write an R script for the client function named in the conventional way ds.xxxxx.R

  • Place the server function script into the correct folder pulled from github e.g. dsBase/R/ on your own machine

  • Place the client function script into the correct folder pulled from github e.g. dsBaseClient/R/ on your own machine

  • Put the header at the top of the client R script (ds.xxxx.R script)

    Example Header block

    #' #' @title [insert something] #' @description [insert something] #' @export #'

    Example 2

    #' #' @title creates random numbers #' @description This function is similar to R function \code{rnorm}. #' @export #'

  • On each Opal server log into the web interface and click on Administration > DataSHIELD and select either ASSIGN or AGGREGATE (depends on your function and what it does!)
    Click +Method
    Add a name of server side function "xxxxx.DS"
    Select R script
    Paste the server function code from your xxxxx.DS.R script into the empty box
    Click save 

  • Reload the new client library from your local machine. In R:

    library(devtools) devtools::load_all("filepath to dsBaseClient you have pulled from github on your machine")

  • Test the new function:

    #load libraries library(opal) library(dsBaseClient) library(dsStatsClient) library(dsGraphicsClient) library(dsModellingClient)   #log into to the test opals data(logindata) opals <- datashield.login(logins=logindata,assign=TRUE)   #run the function to test it ds.rNorm1(samp.size=25,mean=0,sd=1,newobj="newObject",datasources=NULL)