add chart-builder RStudio add-in or function

[cjyetman]

It would be cool to have an RStudio add-in or just a function in the r2dii.plot package that would pull up a chart-builder interface to help a user interactively choose the appropriate options/arguments. Like a Shiny Gadget. I can imagine a function that takes only one argument, the user's data, or a Shiny Gadget that lets you select an/the object, and all the other arguments of the normal plotting functions are a selectable thing in the UI. Then once the user is happy with the plot, they could either directly save/export it or copy/paste the code with all the proper parameters set. Implicit in that is that it would need extra code that facilitates exporting directly to various file formats, setting dpi and image size, etc., but that's relatively uncomplicated compared to the work you've already done.

[cjyetman]

I think this would be a great visual way for a new user to understand how the arguments work and maybe learn to use them directly themselves eventually.

[maurolepore]

@AlexAxthelm I remember you suggested this kind of interface would be better postponed for a while but I don't think we discussed why or when. If it's quick it would be nice to see your thoughts here. Else I can open a GitHub Discussion or schedule a meeting.

[AlexAxthelm]

I suggested postponing this, so that we can prioritize other projects. Let's keep the issue open, and when we get some more capacity, this would be a really fun item to revisit later.

[maurolepore]

If we don't want to load the package with such a tool just now, maybe we could host the app that CJ proposes with toy data, just as a tool to learn r2dii.plot and to generate paste-able code. And if it proves its worth, we could eventually include it as an add-in to r2dii.plot.

[AlexAxthelm]

I think that's a cool objective. Let's put it on the backlog, and we can build it out when we get some time. That might be a good project for users who are just starting with Shiny.