Introducing the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet Version 2.0: The Shinyverse
Written by Matt Dancho
The Ultimate R Cheat Sheet now covers the Shinyverse - An Ecosystem of R Packages for Shiny Web Application Development, Deployment, and putting Machine Learning into Production. The cheat sheet was created as a teaching tool for our NEW COURSE Predictive Web Applications for Business with R Shiny. You can download the Cheat Sheet for FREE, but please read on to learn how to use it to streamline your learning.
What is the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet?
I created the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet as a way to help organize the best of the R ecosystem.
The original concept was selfish - I wanted something that I could use for reference. Something that organized the tools I used frequently and the obscure topics that I needed to have reference to on a case-by-case basis (the special topics that come up every so often).
I put the Cheat Sheet together for me - and it was really useful. But then I got the idea. Maybe others would benefit.
I released the Cheat Sheet to the masses in November of 2018, and within days it was downloaded thousands of times.
From user feedback, I got the idea that if people are benefiting so much, maybe I should integrate the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet into my Business Science University Program.
I first began teaching the Ultimate R Cheatsheet in Business Analysis with R (DS4B 101-R), a course designed to get students learning R for business as fast as possible. My goal was to get students applying the 80/20 Tools to real problems that would translate to their work.
Speed is critical - Student’s need to learn and apply the toolbox to their work as fast as possible. Otherwise they don’t learn.
I began the 101 course showing students how the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet works, and what the key references and package-level cheat sheets (denoted “CS”) were. Further, as the course progressed, I gave students the most important functions and resources that they applied to solve the business problems.
Student’s Learned Faster Than Ever
Students love the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet. They learn why each R package is important. They experience using each of the package-level cheat sheets and core references. They apply the R packages and key functions within those packages to solve business problems. Most importantly - The students learn where to go to find answers to their questions.
The Cheat Sheet is a map. It shows you where to go for answers to your questions.
R became less about learning the syntax, and more about learning how to solve business problems - The problem-solving and critical thinking approach that I engrain in my student’s learning path.
Student’s Became Confident
Countless success stories have proven to me that the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet is an incredible guide. But it’s not the secret sauce. It’s just a tool in the system.
What students gain from learning in a strategic, streamlined, business-focused program is a sense of confidence that they can tackle their business projects and apply their data science tools to generate business value, measured financially for their organization.
They get to ask questions and be mentored through the Slack Channel community by me, and hundreds of other data scientists just like them.
This builds confidence. This transforms people. This gets results.
Why Version 2.0 of the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet?
I’ve learned a lot over the past 2 years of training 600+ students through the Business Science University platform and through workshops at leading companies. What I’ve found is that Cheat Sheets are excellent training tools.
I’ve seen one critical tool being requested more than any other for putting machine learning models into the hands of decision makers.
Shiny!
Here’s a real-world example of a Shiny Web Application that enables Portfolio Managers to optimize their investment weightings. It’s just one example of what the Financial Industry is requesting.
Stock Optimization Application - YouTube Video
App Demo Here
To build the Portfolio Optimization application in Shiny, it requires knowledge of many different tools including HTML, CSS, along with the Shiny eco-system known as the Shinyverse.
This is why I created version 2.0 of the Ultimate R Cheat Sheet
I created a BRAND NEW Page 2 - “Shinyverse” to help organize the main tools that I’m using most frequently when I build Shiny Web Applications and to help others benefit by providing a map to the main R packages in the “Shinyverse” ecosystem. I want you to have it. I’ve made it available for DOWNLOAD so everyone can benefit.
A new Page 2 - Shinyverse page: Added to provide a map to the main R Packages in the Shinyverse Ecosystem.
Shinyverse - New Page 2 of Cheat Sheet
Learn Shiny For Predictive Web Applications
Learn how to build Predictive Web Applications with Shiny - My new course that streamlines the approach. You will learn how to build web application with a focus on integrating machine learning. You will follow a streamlined learning system that implments 80/20 Tools. And yes, I do teach the Shinyverse cheat sheet in the course!
Predictive Web Applications With Shiny Course
New Course - Predictive Web Applications with R Shiny
PS - Things I Still Want To Add
I’m keeping a list of things I still want to add. Leave a comment if you have any special requests for Shiny packages or any other R packages that you find important. Here’s my list:
- Chrome DevTools Inspector
- Font Awesome
- Google Fonts
Let me know if there are other R packages you would like! Leave a comment below.