Passing data from server.R to javascript

[Maher Harb]

I built a shiny App with an html ui that has an auto-completion text box powered by jquey-ui. I'm able to pass input from the html page to the server.R and display output back to the html page. However, there's also a javascript code that is loaded within index.html that currently is based on hard coded data. Few lines are shown below:

<script>

  $(function() {

    var availableTags = [

"text 1",

"text 2",

"text 3",

"text 4",

"text 5"

    ]; 

// some javascript code here

  });

  </script>

Is there a way of having values "text1", "text2", etc. passed by the server.R as the input changes? 

Thanks-

[Herman Sontrop]

I don't know if I understand your problem correctly but this may help:

http://ryouready.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/sending-data-from-client-to-server-and-back-using-shiny/

Best Herman

[Charles McGuinness]

Hello Maher!

I use an htmlOutput() in my ui.R and a renderUI in server.R to dynamically and completely replace UI and script components reactively.  

The code in renderUI returns HTML( .... lots of HTML and <script> stuff ... ) and seems to work perfectly.

Perhaps that would be useful for you?

[Maher Harb]

Hi Charles,

I'm trying to integrate the jQuery-ui auto-complete with my shiny App, see example here:

http://jqueryui.com/autocomplete/#multiple

I'm able to pass input from the text box to the server and display the results on the client side in some html element (e.g. by renderTable). But I haven’t figured out how to pass the result to the JavaScript function that handles the popup drop-down box underneath the input text box. The problem as I see it is the javascript that is loaded as part of my index.html file inside a <SCRIPT> tag. 

Note I did not use a ui.R file, but an html ui. Would using a ui.R be advantageous in this case?

[Maher Harb]

UPDATE:

I figured out how to pass data to the javascript code based on the article recommended by Herman. I basically wrap the javascript in my index.html file within a Shiny.addCustomMessageHandler function:

<script>

  Shiny.addCustomMessageHandler("myCallbackHandler",

  function(availableTags) {

.

.

.

  });

 </script>

And on the server side I pass data to the function using:

  observe({

    words <- as.data.frame(out())[,1]

    session$sendCustomMessage(type = "myCallbackHandler", words)

  })

It works beautifully, but I still have to tune few thins because it seems that I need to type double spaces to get it to react as supposed to. You can see the end result here:

https://mharb.shinyapps.io/Autocomplete03/

[raphael...@gmail.com]

Hi Maher

First, thanks for your useful posts, very helpful. I was wondering whether you had been able to sort out the double space issue? I ran into the exact same issue. I guess I need to refresh the list everytime something is selected, but I haven't figured out how so far.

Cheers

r