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RDesk

RDesk hex logo

CRAN status R-CMD-check pkgdown MIT licenseWindows only

Build native Windows desktop apps with R — zero ports, one installer, no R needed by your users.

RDesk turns your R analysis into a standalone Windows application. No Shiny server. No browser tabs. No IT conversations about ports. Your users get a real .exe that double-clicks like any other desktop tool — and it works entirely offline.

Quick Start 

# Install from CRAN
install.packages("RDesk")

# Scaffold a professional dashboard
RDesk::rdesk_create_app("MyApp")

# Run it immediately
source("MyApp/app.R")

When you are ready to ship:

RDesk::build_app(
  app_dir         = "MyApp",
  app_name        = "MyApp",
  build_installer = TRUE
)
# → dist/MyApp-1.0.0-setup.exe  (~200 MB, self-contained)

Send the .exe to anyone on Windows. They double-click it. Done. No R required.

Development version:

devtools::install_github("Janakiraman-311/RDesk")

Why RDesk?

Shiny RInno (archived) Electron + R RDesk
Network ports required ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ Zero
Works fully offline ❌ No ⚠️ Partial ⚠️ Partial ✅ Yes
Native file dialogs & menus ❌ No ❌ No ⚠️ Via JS ✅ Yes
Distribution format Server URL Installer Installer ZIP or .exe
Bundle size Server-side 350 MB+ 350–500 MB ~200 MB
Skills required R R + Electron R + Node.js R only

Core Features

  • 🔒 Zero-Port IPC — R and the UI communicate via native stdin/stdout pipes and Win32 messages. No TCP stack. No firewall rules. Passes enterprise security audits that Shiny deployments fail.
  • ⚡ Async by Default — Three-tier async engine built on mirai. Pre-warmed daemon pools start tasks in milliseconds, not seconds. Loading overlays and progress bars are one line of code.
  • 📦 Version-Safe Runtime — build_app() copies your exact R installation into the bundle, guaranteeing the runtime and your renv-locked packages are always the same version. No more ABI crashes.
  • 🎨 Modern Web UI — Write your interface in plain HTML/CSS/JS. Keep 100% of your logic in R. No React. No Webpack. No build pipeline.
  • 🛠 Professional Scaffolding — rdesk_create_app() generates a full working dashboard — sidebar, charts, async workers, dark mode — that runs immediately. No blank-template frustration.
  • 🔄 Auto-Update — One function silently checks for updates on launch and installs them. Your distributed users always run the latest version.

Who It’s For

RDesk is built for R developers who need to put a real tool in the hands of people who don’t use R.

  • Pharma & clinical — distribute data review or validation tools to investigators without IT involvement
  • Consulting — hand a client a branded analysis tool without exposing your model or code
  • Internal teams — replace aging Excel macros with proper statistics, distributed as a familiar .exe
  • Anyone who has been told “we can’t open a port for your Shiny app”

Documentation

Full documentation at janakiraman-311.github.io/RDesk

Guide What it covers
Getting Started From install.packages() to your first native app
Coming from Shiny Side-by-side mapping of every Shiny pattern to RDesk
Async Guide Background tasks, progress overlays, cancellation
Cookbook Copy-paste recipes for common desktop patterns
Why RDesk? The history of R desktop deployment

License

MIT © Janakiraman G.