The six R-Instat packages?

[rdstern]

@lilyclements this issue is partly for information and a check on where we are with the R-Instat packages.

You were working on the documentation on the three main packages in R-Instat, namely

a) Data Book, b) Calculation System c) Others

Now during the Malawi workshop I discovered we also needed to add 3 more packages all concerned with the Export to Google Buckets. I am slightly curious why 3 packages are needed - could they be combined? But quite happy that we now have 6 packages.

a) You were busy documenting the 3 main packages. Has this progressed? b) Does R-Instat now use these packages, because that must make the remaining code better? c) If so, then could we manage all six packages in a similar way? d) There is also an R script - I believe, - for the automatic updating of the materials in the google bucket? Is this in one of the packages? Could that script be run from R-Instat. That would be for users who may not have RStudio on their machine? e) I assume the 3 google-bucket packages will be included in the next version of R-Instat - the one we will test in Zambia. Then the process of writing the summaries and definitions will be considerably simpler. f) In the longer term I wonder if there could be a script - well documented - that allows for updating any of the R-Instat packages? This would start with the lines below, for the 3 new packages, plus comment lines to explain what this is all about?

devtools::install_github("IDEMSInternational/epicsadata")
devtools::install_github("IDEMSInternational/epicsawrap")
devtools::install_github("IDEMSInternational/rpicsa")

This would be an alternative the the Tools > Install R Package dialog.

It would permit corrections etc to be made to the packages and added - when needed - between full upgrades of R-Instat.

[lilyclements]

Now during the Malawi workshop I discovered we also needed to add 3 more packages all concerned with the Export to Google Buckets. I am slightly curious why 3 packages are needed - could they be combined? But quite happy that we now have 6 packages.

@rdstern The three packages are rpicsa, epicsawrap, and epicsadata. You shouldn't need to use rpicsa, I believe, ever. rpicsa does our PICSA calculations -- but we already have that in R-Instat written in the dialogs and calculation system. This is a package for performing those calculations outside of R-Instat. In fact, as we build our calculation system as a package, I hope that rpicsa becomes depreciated and we just use our R-Instat functions in R.

epicsawrap and epicsadata were both initially conceived to be separate packages - one focussing on "talking" to the google buckets, and one as a wrapper of "talking to the buckets" (epicsadata) and "running the calculations (rpicsa). However, as things have progressed, I do absolutely plan for these to become just one package. This hasn't been my top priority yet which is why it's not happened yet! But, the plan is to just need epicsawrap.

a) You were busy documenting the 3 main packages. Has this progressed?

This was good fun, e-PICSA decided to pop it's little head up as a larger priority, but I will get back to this soon (next week? -- on a workshop this week). This is going well though, and looks promising

b) Does R-Instat now use these packages, because that must make the remaining code better?

We will get it to be that way!

c) If so, then could we manage all six packages in a similar way?

Hopefully, yes. That would be the plan! What do you think?

d) There is also an R script - I believe, - for the automatic updating of the materials in the google bucket? Is this in one of the packages? Could that script be run from R-Instat. That would be for users who may not have RStudio on their machine?

Great, happy for us to design a dialog/changes to the dialog to update the summaries from new data, but current definitions. We can discuss this design and then should write an issue on it?

e) I assume the 3 google-bucket packages will be included in the next version of R-Instat - the one we will test in Zambia. Then the process of writing the summaries and definitions will be considerably simpler.

When is the next version? I can get it down to one package by then.

f) In the longer term I wonder if there could be a script - well documented - that allows for updating any of the R-Instat packages? This would start with the lines below, for the 3 new packages, plus comment lines to explain what this is all about?

Happy to work on this script as well, nice idea.

[jkmusyoka]

@lilyclements the next workshop is most likely from the 29th July. It would be great if a new version is ready the week before so we could test extensively before the Zambia workshop. We are likely to have a repeat workshop in Malawi, after Zambia, to produce the summaries. This would then help us to resolve the issues we encountered in Malawi

[lilyclements]

Ok sure, I can get them into the same package for you by then