renv demo

Goals for today

Why use renv?
How to use it?

🔗 https://maelle.github.io/renv-demo

To do list on a clipboard — Picture by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.

Your project depends on

…its dependencies. To state the obvious 😅 Let’s concentrate on software dependencies.

… its dependencies, wherever they come from. CRAN, R-universe, GitHub.

… its dependencies as they are now. R packages evolve over time.

Future users of your code

including yourself 😉 should be able to easily use the same packages and their same versions to re-run your code.

Letter to Santa — Picture by Olya Kobruseva on Pexels.

Ever used `sessionInfo()` to list dependencies?

R version 4.2.0 (2022-04-22)
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)
Running under: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS

Matrix products: default
BLAS:   /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/blas/libblas.so.3.9.0
LAPACK: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lapack/liblapack.so.3.9.0

locale:
 [1] LC_CTYPE=en_US.utf8       LC_NUMERIC=C             
 [3] LC_TIME=en_US.utf8        LC_COLLATE=en_US.utf8    
 [5] LC_MONETARY=en_US.utf8    LC_MESSAGES=en_US.utf8   
 [7] LC_PAPER=en_US.utf8       LC_NAME=C                
 [9] LC_ADDRESS=C              LC_TELEPHONE=C           
[11] LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.utf8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C      

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base     

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
 [1] compiler_4.2.0       magrittr_2.0.3       fastmap_1.1.0       
 [4] cli_3.4.1            tools_4.2.0          htmltools_0.5.3.9000
 [7] rstudioapi_0.14      yaml_2.3.5           stringi_1.7.8       
[10] rmarkdown_2.17       knitr_1.40           stringr_1.4.1       
[13] xfun_0.33            digest_0.6.29        jsonlite_1.8.2      
[16] rlang_1.0.6          evaluate_0.17

This can’t be used directly.

Ever used `sessionInfo()` to list dependencies?

You were on the right track.

renv by Kevin Ushey is a better way to do that, with ✨ little overhead ✨

Golden cogwheels on dark background — Picture by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.

First step: install renv!

Once per computer / per R update.

install.packages("renv")

Renovation in an empty light room with wooden laminates — Picture by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.

The renv workflow in each project

Start with renv::init().
Install packages with renv::install("ggplot2").
Write code as usual.
Regularly, renv::snapshot() (renv::status()).

The renv workflow, when adopting a project

renv::restore()

Set of instruments on floor — Picture by Anete Lusina on Pexels.

Demo

The coolcool package has two versions on GitHub, with different functions.
My project1 uses the first version.
My project2 uses the second version.

In project1…

I can run coolcool::my_favorite_function().
I canNOT run coolcool::my_best_function().

Gold one on blue background — Picture by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.

In project2…

I canNOT run coolcool::my_favorite_function().
I can run coolcool::my_best_function().

Steel chain two on orange background — Picture by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.

Why is it so?

Anatomy of a project using renv

fs::dir_ls("../project1", all = TRUE)

../project1/.Rprofile      ../project1/.Rproj.user    
../project1/.git           ../project1/.gitignore     
../project1/R              ../project1/project1.Rproj 
../project1/renv           ../project1/renv.lock

fs::dir_ls("../project1/renv", all = TRUE)

../project1/renv/.gitignore   ../project1/renv/activate.R   
../project1/renv/library      ../project1/renv/settings.dcf 
../project1/renv/staging

The `renv.lock` file in project1

  "R": {
    "Version": "4.2.0",
    "Repositories": [
      {
        "Name": "RSPM",
        "URL": "https://packagemanager.rstudio.com/all/latest"
      },
      {
        "Name": "CRAN",
        "URL": "https://cloud.r-project.org"
      }
    ]
  },
  "Packages": {
    "coolcool": {
      "Package": "coolcool",
      "Version": "1.0.0",
      "Source": "GitHub",
      "RemoteType": "github",
      "RemoteHost": "api.github.com",
      "RemoteUsername": "maelle",
      "RemoteRepo": "coolcool",
      "RemoteRef": "v1.0.0",
      "RemoteSha": "f94dc7963719213b6cd1d4c4474b405c9d722a2b",
      "Hash": "51d05ff5c3d3ca1354bfa949a44d3c63",
      "Requirements": []
    },
    "renv": {
      "Package": "renv",
      "Version": "0.15.5",
      "Source": "Repository",
      "Repository": "RSPM",
      "Hash": "6a38294e7d12f5d8e656b08c5bd8ae34",
      "Requirements": []
    }
  }
}

The `renv.lock` file in project2

  "R": {
    "Version": "4.2.0",
    "Repositories": [
      {
        "Name": "RSPM",
        "URL": "https://packagemanager.rstudio.com/all/latest"
      },
      {
        "Name": "CRAN",
        "URL": "https://cloud.r-project.org"
      }
    ]
  },
  "Packages": {
    "coolcool": {
      "Package": "coolcool",
      "Version": "2.0.0",
      "Source": "GitHub",
      "RemoteType": "github",
      "RemoteHost": "api.github.com",
      "RemoteUsername": "maelle",
      "RemoteRepo": "coolcool",
      "RemoteRef": "v2.0.0",
      "RemoteSha": "0b896d6c30dfb2b0ace3a881642769851aaf100c",
      "Hash": "8da8b82994ba0ecdc7d2c6cee0cd8b76",
      "Requirements": []
    },
    "renv": {
      "Package": "renv",
      "Version": "0.15.5",
      "Source": "Repository",
      "Repository": "RSPM",
      "Hash": "6a38294e7d12f5d8e656b08c5bd8ae34",
      "Requirements": []
    }
  }
}

The difference

"Version": "1.0.0"

vs

"Version": "2.0.0"

How do we get there?

project0

usethis::create_project("../project0")
renv::init() then 👀 look 👀
renv::install("maelle/coolcool")
Create r/blop.R, write coolcool::my_best_function()
renv::status()
renv::snapshot() then 👀 look 👀
renv::install("usethis"); usethis::use_git(); usethis::use_github()

project0 from GitHub

Close project. In another folder create_from_github("maelle/project0")
👀 look 👀
coolcool::my_best_function() 😭
renv::restore()
👀 look 👀
coolcool::my_best_function() 😁

Zoom on `renv::install()`

Will it take ages to re-install packages in each project? 😱

Close-up of a green alarm clock — Picture by Jafaris Mustafa on Pexels.

No! renv creates a central cache from which it can pick packages quickly.

The first installation might take time, the second no because it uses the cache.

What if I like `sessionInfo()`?

You can still report it.
See also report::report(sessionInfo()), and renv::dependencies()

Finding R package dependencies ... Done!

                                                     Source   Package Require
1        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      glue        
2        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      httr        
3        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd        fs        
4        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      brio        
5        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      glue        
6        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      brio        
7        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      glue        
8        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd      renv        
9        /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.qmd rmarkdown        
10 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown rmarkdown        
11 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      glue        
12 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      httr        
13 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown        fs        
14 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      brio        
15 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      glue        
16 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      brio        
17 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      glue        
18 /home/maelle/Documents/EMODnet/renv-demo/index.rmarkdown      renv        
   Version   Dev
1          FALSE
2          FALSE
3          FALSE
4          FALSE
5          FALSE
6          FALSE
7          FALSE
8          FALSE
9          FALSE
10         FALSE
11         FALSE
12         FALSE
13         FALSE
14         FALSE
15         FALSE
16         FALSE
17         FALSE
18         FALSE

RStudio IDE or not

renv works without RStudio IDE too!

It is well supported in RStudio IDE, for instance when creating a new project from the menu.

Black and brown audio mixer — Picture by Dmitry Demidov on Pexels.

Summary

Once per computer: install.packages("renv").

In each project:

renv::init() once,
renv::install() as often as needed,
renv::snapshot() regularly.

When adopting a project: renv::restore().

🔗 https://maelle.github.io/renv-demo

Further resources on renv itself

Close-up photo of sprout — Picture by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.

Further, further resources

capsule by Miles McBain, An inversion of renv for low effort reproducible R package libraries;
Docker, blog post by Colin Fay.

Carton box tied with ribbon and flowers — Picture by Maahid Photos on Pexels.

renv demo

Goals for today

Your project depends on

Future users of your code

Ever used sessionInfo() to list dependencies?

Ever used sessionInfo() to list dependencies?

First step: install renv!

The renv workflow in each project

The renv workflow, when adopting a project

Demo

In project1…

In project2…

Anatomy of a project using renv

The renv.lock file in project1

The renv.lock file in project2

The difference

project0

project0 from GitHub

Zoom on renv::install()

What if I like sessionInfo()?

RStudio IDE or not

Summary

Further resources on renv itself

Further, further resources

Ever used `sessionInfo()` to list dependencies?

Ever used `sessionInfo()` to list dependencies?

The `renv.lock` file in project1

The `renv.lock` file in project2

Zoom on `renv::install()`

What if I like `sessionInfo()`?