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Get Hopping with froggeR

Source: vignettes/hopping-into-quarto.Rmd
hopping-into-quarto.Rmd

Introduction

froggeR streamlines Quarto workflows by providing a robust, user-friendly framework for project setup and document creation. This vignette demonstrates how froggeR can enhance your productivity while maintaining project consistency.

# Install from GitHub
remotes::install_github("kyleGrealis/froggeR")

Core Features

Project setup often involves repetitive tasks that can impede your analysis workflow. froggeR addresses this by providing:

  • Automated project initialization with quarto_project()
  • Reusable project configurations through settings()
  • Configurable document templates via write_quarto()
  • Consistent styling with write_scss()
  • Enhanced version control setup
  • Easily add project documentation templates to any existing project, even those not initialized by froggeR.

SPOILER ALERT!!

All of the components listed below are available when you begin your Quarto projects with:

froggeR::quarto_project()

Save time on building a project structure, formatting, and trying to redo that super awesome YAML you did a few weeks back. Start with froggeR now and get yourself dialed in for all future projects!

Quick Start Guide

Create a new Quarto project with a single command:

froggeR::quarto_project(name = "frogs")

This command initializes a complete project structure with all necessary components:

Project Components

  1. Quarto Document (frogs.qmd)
    • Pre-configured YAML header
    • Professional styling
    • Ready for immediate use
  2. Style Sheet (custom.scss)
    • Modern design elements
    • Customizable components
    • Clear documentation
  3. Project Configuration
    • .Rproj for RStudio integration
    • _variables.yml for consistent metadata
    • .gitignore for secure version control

When you start your first Quarto project with froggeR, you’re choosing fast & efficient templating over tedious replication of project documents. froggeR provides the ability to create project-level metadata (stored in a _variables.yml file). This metadata populates certain fields in your Quarto document’s YAML. For example, a froggeR Quarto document with the custom template displays “name” in the YAML as name: "{{< var name >}}". However, when you render the document, the “name” value in the _variables.yml file populates this area and your actual name is displayed in the output.

Now, this may seem arbitrary or too simplistic. Sure, but what if you would like to add an email hyperlink to your documents because your share the rendered HTML documents with your colleagues? That’s simple – just ensure that the “email” field has a value and that too will be displayed in the document too. The same applies for adding a personal or company URL, your ORCID link, a school or organization, or even a custom title for the table of contents. Since the _variables.yml file is composed of key:value pairs, fill in whichever values you would like to use, leave blank which ones you’d rather not, or add new key:value pairs.

Note: It is strongly discouraged to delete any lines in the _variables.yml file as those are linked directly to the Quarto document. Either be sure to remove the key:value in the variables file and remove the {{ var [variable you want removed] }} from the Quarto template, or simply just leave the value empty in the variables file.

See vignette("customizing-quarto", package = "froggeR") for more detailed configuration options.

Customization

Document Settings

Manage your document settings with the interactive configuration tool (see ?froggeR::settings for all options):

# Check, display, or update your settings
froggeR::settings()
froggeR settings menu
froggeR settings menu

To create and open the _variables.yml file for immediate customization, run:

# Create project-level metadata
froggeR::write_variables()

You will then see the file open with hints provided on how to fill in and use. Remember, it’s better (and safer) to leave fields blank than to delete them… but you can remove the first two comment lines.

empty variables file
Project variables file

If you would then like to reuse this file in future projects, run froggeR::settings() then choose option 4 “Show how to reuse settings across projects”. An easier way is to just copy this to your console to save the _variables.yml in a system-level froggeR configuration file:

file.copy(from = here::here("_variables.yml"), to = "~/.config/froggeR/config.yml")

This will output [1] TRUE to the console indicating that the file copy worked.

These settings flow through your projects in this order:

  1. config.yml stores your permanent settings (exact location depends on your OS)
  2. froggeR reads these when creating new projects
  3. Settings populate _variables.yml in your project
  4. Quarto documents use these variables automatically
How froggeR manages settings across projects (config.yml)
How froggeR manages settings across projects (config.yml)
How froggeR manages settings within projects (_variables.yml)
How froggeR manages settings across projects (_variables.yml)

Note: While you can update these settings at any time, most users find they only need to set them once or very infrequently.

Congratulations! You’ve just made your next Quarto project with froggeR even easier! But how? Well, let’s have a little fun: delete the _variables.yml in your local project you just created. Don’t worry… we’ll make it reappear, but this time you will not need to reinput the value fields. Once again, run froggeR::write_variables() and voila! You should see your saved config file that matches the one you just deleted… and it’s already filled in!

This is froggeR’s main benefit: making Quarto documents and projects easier the next time too. Later we’ll see how froggeR::quarto_project() will pull this information the next time while setting up the entire project structure. You can skip ahead to the vignette, if you like.

Save Settings

New for froggeR v.0.4.0: use the save_variables() function to add your current project’s _variables.yml to the system configuration file. This increased functionality was much-needed. Instead of you the user searching out where to find the configuration file buried in your operating system’s path, we’ve employed a quick technique to find that file, ensure that you would like to overwrite the file for future use, or create it if it doesn’t already exist. This reinforce’s froggeR’s goal to increase your effeciency now and for future projects.

Create a Quarto document with a custom YAML

To further the leverage the power of project metadata, select a Quarto template with custom_yaml = TRUE (this is the default argument) and choose any name you’d like.

# Create a new document using your settings
froggeR::write_quarto(
  filename = "analysis",
  custom_yaml = TRUE  # Use your configured settings
)

The template will open:

custom yaml template
Custom YAML template

If you’re not familiar with this new structure in the YAML, that’s ok. This is where the values from _variables.yml in the project links to the rendered document. The {{< var name >}} syntax imports the name value from the variables metadata file. If you were to now make a second or third froggeR::write_quarto() document in this project, you will not need to manually enter your name and other details. These values will be automatically entered when you render the documents.

The _variables.yml metadata file is very versatile. You can include more key:value pairs to either the project- or global-level file(s) and those values will be accessible in any current or future documents. Imagine you had a second URL that you plan to use more than a few times in your Quarto document, and maybe you just don’t want to type the long syntax over and over? Great, store it in the _variables.yml file… like this!

more key:value pairs
Adding more key:values to project metadata

Note: Wrap hyperlinks in quotes in the metadata file or the rendered output and link acts funky. Ask me how I know ;)

I’m sure you can envision many more ways to use metadata to your advantage. This isn’t a “froggeR-thing”… the great team working on Quarto is to thank!

Visual Styling

Customize your document appearance with SCSS:

froggeR::write_scss()

This creates a custom.scss file with commented-out examples. Uncomment and modify these to customize your document’s appearance. For more information on Quarto styling, refer to:

Advanced Usage

Project Documentation

Generate comprehensive project documentation:

froggeR::write_readme()
froggeR::write_notes()

The README template was designed for academia in mind (notice the references to “PI”, or principle investigator, within the file), but is adaptable to meet your needs. There are sections for explaining how to use your project, what the directories and files contain, and created so you can focus more on creating content.

We’ve included a dated_progress_notes.md file. A study with sample size N=1 has demonstrated that this has really helped me the study participant refresh memory after a few weeks away from a project.

Best Practices

For optimal results with froggeR:

  1. Use metadata in your projects
    • Follow guide to save your metadata in the configuration file
    • Initialize projects with quarto_project() or write_quarto()
    • Review Quarto documentation to really open up your projects
  2. Project Organization
    • Use consistent naming conventions
    • Maintain clear directory structure
    • Document project changes
  3. Version Control
    • Review .gitignore settings
    • Update progress notes regularly
    • Maintain README documentation
  4. Styling
    • Test SCSS changes before implementation
    • Document custom styling decisions
    • Use variables for consistency

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Common Issues

  1. Q: My YAML isn’t rendering correctly in the Quarto document.

    A: Ensure that your _variables.yml file is properly formatted. Check for any extra spaces or incorrect indentation.

  2. Q: The SCSS styles aren’t applying to my document.

    A: Make sure the SCSS file is properly linked in your YAML header. Remember, the order of the styles sheets matters. During the initialization of froggeR::write_quarto(custom_yaml = TRUE), the custom.scss will override anything set in the default styling. The same applies if another SCSS sheet is added – it will override all SCSS files listed above it. Check the console for any error messages during rendering.

  3. Q: I’m getting an error when trying to create a new project.

    A: Ensure you have the latest version of froggeR and Quarto installed. Also, check if you have write permissions in the target directory.

Tips for Smoother Projects

  • Always review the generated files after project creation to ensure everything is set up as expected.
  • When customizing SCSS, make small changes and render frequently to see the effects.
  • Keep your froggeR settings up-to-date, especially when working across multiple projects.

For more specific issues, consult the documentation or reach out through the GitHub issue tracker.

Getting Help

Need assistance? Several resources are available:

Future Developments

froggeR is continuously evolving to meet the needs of the R and Quarto community. Some exciting features on our roadmap include:

  • Quarto Dashboard Integration: Streamlined creation and management of interactive Quarto dashboards.
  • Enhanced Version Control Integration: More robust Git integration features.
  • Expanded Customization Options: Additional templates and styling options for diverse project needs.
  • Collaborative Tools: Features to enhance team workflows and project sharing.

Stay tuned to our GitHub repository for updates and new releases. We welcome feature requests and feedback from our user community to help shape the future of froggeR!

Summary

froggeR provides a streamlined approach to Quarto project management, offering:

  • Efficient project initialization
  • Consistent document styling
  • Secure version control
  • Comprehensive documentation

Happy analyzing! 🐸

Elevating your Quarto workflow with automated excellence