Save output to local computer from Shiny.io server

[Harold Doran]

My app has a textInput box that provides the user with an option to specify the location for saving output from an R function. When run from a local machine, the user might enter something like the following into this text box:

c:\path\to\my\folder

However, I have deployed this app now over to the shiny.io server so it is now running as a web app. When the user enters the same file path as the example above, it fails and kicks back the R error that it cannot open that directory.

I presume because it is looking to see if that directory exists on the shiny and not the local machine.

Any advice on what path convention I would enter to save to the local machine? OR, is there a way to program the app to always point to the users local machine as they will always save there?

[Esteban Morales]

Hi Harold,

There probably isn't a way to automatically point to a user's machine and upload files to that location for security reasons.

Maybe this will help:

http://shiny.rstudio.com/articles/download.html

Link to example:

http://shiny.rstudio.com/gallery/download-file.html

R Shiny has a way for users to download data from the app with a save location prompt.