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Shiny and Database Integration

Source: vignettes/shiny-and-database-integration.Rmd
shiny-and-database-integration.Rmd
  • Seamlessly embed SurveyJS forms in Shiny apps.
  • Capture, update, and persist survey responses—including live editing and database storage.
  • For custom JS hooks or frontend logic, see the Advanced JS Hooks & Events vignette.

Table of Contents

Minimal Shiny Survey App 

library(shiny)
library(rsurveyjs)

ui <- fluidPage(
  surveyjsOutput("mysurvey"),
  verbatimTextOutput("result")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  output$mysurvey <- renderSurveyjs({
    surveyjs(
      schema = list(
        title = "Feedback",
        questions = list(
          list(type = "text", name = "name", title = "What is your name?"),
          list(type = "rating", name = "rating", title = "How would you rate us?")
        )
      )
    )
  })

  output$result <- renderPrint({
    input$mysurvey_data
  })
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

Live Mode: Real-Time Updates

Use live = TRUE to get continuous feedback as the user fills out the form.

ui <- fluidPage(
  surveyjsOutput("mysurvey"),
  verbatimTextOutput("live_output")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  output$mysurvey <- renderSurveyjs({
    surveyjs(
      schema = list(
        title = "Live Feedback",
        questions = list(
          list(type = "text", name = "comment", title = "Your comment?")
        )
      ),
      live = TRUE
    )
  })

  output$live_output <- renderPrint({
    input$mysurvey_data_live
  })
}

shinyApp(ui, server)
  • Use input$<id>_data_live for live data.
  • Use input$<id>_data for final, completed responses.

Dynamic Updates: Update Survey from Server

Use updateSurveyjs() to change schema, initial data, theme, or locale on the fly.

ui <- fluidPage(
  surveyjsOutput("mysurvey"),
  actionButton("reload", "Switch Survey")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  output$mysurvey <- renderSurveyjs({
    surveyjs(
      schema = list(
        title = "First Survey",
        questions = list(
          list(type = "text", name = "favorite", title = "Favorite color?")
        )
      )
    )
  })

  observeEvent(input$reload, {
    updateSurveyjs(session, "mysurvey", schema = list(
      title = "New Survey",
      questions = list(
        list(type = "rating", name = "satisfaction", title = "Rate your satisfaction")
      )
    ))
  })
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

Saving and Loading Responses with a Database

Here’s a minimal example using DBI and SQLite for persistent storage.

library(DBI)
library(RSQLite)
library(shiny)
library(rsurveyjs)

# Set up database connection (for demo: use temp file)
con <- dbConnect(RSQLite::SQLite(), "responses.sqlite")
if (!dbExistsTable(con, "survey_results")) {
  dbExecute(con, "CREATE TABLE survey_results (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    timestamp TEXT,
    name TEXT,
    rating INTEGER
  )")
}

ui <- fluidPage(
  surveyjsOutput("mysurvey"),
  actionButton("save", "Save Response"),
  tableOutput("responses")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  output$mysurvey <- renderSurveyjs({
    surveyjs(
      schema = list(
        title = "Feedback",
        questions = list(
          list(type = "text", name = "name", title = "Your name?"),
          list(type = "rating", name = "rating", title = "Rate us")
        )
      )
    )
  })

  observeEvent(input$save, {
    dat <- input$mysurvey_data
    if (!is.null(dat)) {
      dbExecute(con, "INSERT INTO survey_results (timestamp, name, rating) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
        params = list(Sys.time(), dat$name, dat$rating)
      )
    }
  })

  output$responses <- renderTable({
    dbGetQuery(con, "SELECT * FROM survey_results ORDER BY id DESC")
  })
}

onStop(function() dbDisconnect(con))
shinyApp(ui, server)
  • Replace "responses.sqlite" with your desired file path or use another DBI-compatible backend.
  • For production, sanitize and validate inputs appropriately.

Common Pitfalls & Further Reference

  • Input IDs:
    • input$mysurvey_data is the completed form data.
    • input$mysurvey_data_live is live-updating data (when live = TRUE).
  • Missing responses:
    • Always check is.null(input$mysurvey_data) before saving.
    • Ensure the survey “Complete” button is clicked to trigger saving.
  • More advanced features:
  • Further Reading: