[BlindRUG] WriteR as a stand alone

[Jonathan Godfrey]

Hello everyone,

I originally started WriteR because I wanted a decent tool for writing R markdown documents and I needed a sensible substitute for RStudio.

You will have seen me suggest using R markdown because it has accessible input and generates HTML. The problem is that not everyone can easily get into using Rmd files especially when their peers are off using RStudio easily.


WriteR was written in Python 2.7 originally, but in 2018, it got the necessary improvements for Python 3.6 and of course, the Python 2 series is no longer supported. It can be run as a Python script, but that means installation of Python, and the necessary additional modules.

The Python scripts have been hidden away inside the BrailleR package for some time, but making sure a user could set up their Python with the right additional modules proved a bit too much for some people. I started to work on an executable version, but found the performance a little below par for my liking.

I recently moved to a new laptop and started getting everything sorted out. I could use the tools in the BrailleR package to do all sorts of the things I needed, but I inadvertently made a problem for myself. It turns out that the latest public release of Python (3.10) and the critical modules I use aren't working for anyone, let alone me. The tools in the BrailleR package are therefore going to send users into a very deep rabbit hole, perhaps even a pit of despair.

So, it's back to delivering the executable that doesn't require a Python installation. I've gone further because I know the problems mere mortals face with software distributed as scripts. I've played around a bit, and I've managed to get a half-decent installer sorted out, or at least I've got it sorted for Windows users anyway.

I now need some volunteers to take a look at what I've done and pick it to bits. Break it, try to stuff it up, do what you want with it, but please try it. A landing page is at
https://r-resources.massey.ac.nz/WriteR/

This page has the downloadable files, and a link to the start of an intro tutorial.

Yes, there is also a GitHub page, but that suits geeks not mere mortals. If this works, I'll find a way for the BrailleR functions to grab the version a user can use effectively. Testing is therefore required.

Many thanks,
Jonathan



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