R Shiny, how to stop ggplot boxplots from updating themselves as in a group of linked boxplots

Question

When I create a group of linked boxplots( selecting points in one boxplot highlights the corresponding points in all boxplots), the boxplots keep updating themselves for a uncertain amount of times (sometimes only once but sometimes up to 20 times).

Please run the following sample code.

I believe the source of problem is the geom_jitter(). Is there any way to stop the boxplots from updating themselves? Thanks.

library(shiny)
library(ggplot2)

server <- function(input, session, output) {

  X = data.frame(x1 = rnorm(1000),
                 x2 = rnorm(1000),
                 week = sample(LETTERS[1:10],1000,replace = TRUE)
                 )

  D = reactive({
    brushedPoints(X,input$brush_1, allRows = TRUE)
  })

  output$p1 = renderPlot({
    set.seed(123)
    ggplot(D(),aes(x=week,y=x1))+
      geom_boxplot() +
      geom_jitter(aes(color=selected_))+
      scale_color_manual(values = c("black","red"),guide=FALSE)


  })

  output$p2 = renderPlot({
    set.seed(123)
    ggplot(D(),aes(x=week,y=x2))+
      geom_boxplot() +
      geom_jitter(aes(color=selected_))+
      scale_color_manual(values = c("black","red"),guide=FALSE)

  })

}

ui <- fluidPage(
  splitLayout(
    plotOutput("p1",brush = "brush_1"),
    plotOutput("p2",brush = "brush_1")
  )
)

shinyApp(ui = ui, server = server)

Update: 2016-9-16

I tried replacing geom_jitter with geom_point, but the charts still keep updating themselves.

So geom_jitter may not be the suspect.

So what is the source of problem on earth?

You could perhaps calculate the jitter beforehand, and use `geom_point` instead. — Axeman, Sep 13 '16 at 09:00
Also note, that you should probably turn off the outlier points of the boxplots. — Axeman, Sep 13 '16 at 09:01
@Axeman Can you give me an example of using `geom_point` to obtain a similar chart with points spread around the vertical center the box? thanks. — John, Sep 14 '16 at 01:07
Oh I tried replacing `geom_jitter` with `geom_point`, they still keep updating themselves. So I was wrong to say `geom_jitter` is the source of error. — John, Sep 14 '16 at 01:10

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 18 '16 at 14:23

guess the reason is source table always keep updating when you brush one of plots. cause all of your plots use the same brush id, can not identify which input$brush_1 is the real "brush" action. One chart has been brushed,input$brush_1 changed and reactive table D will be updated as well. Another plot based on the new reactive table plot again and make the input$brush_1 changed again...

From above thinking, based on your code, made a new one to distinguish the input brush action from different plots. the problem that boxplots keep updating themselves for a uncertain amount of times seems be solved. pls try below code:

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 18 '16 at 14:32

library(shiny)
library(ggplot2)

server <- function(input, session, output) {

  X = data.frame(x1 = rnorm(1000),
                 x2 = rnorm(1000),
                 week = sample(LETTERS[1:10],1000,replace = TRUE)
  )

  vals <- reactiveValues(
    keeprows = rep(TRUE,nrow(X))

  )

  D = reactive({
    R=cbind(X,vals$keeprows)
    #print(sum(R[,"vals$keeprows"]==TRUE))
    R
    })

  output$p1 = renderPlot({
    set.seed(123)
      ggplot(D(),aes(x=week,y=x1))+
      geom_boxplot() +
      geom_jitter(aes(colour=vals$keeprows))+
      scale_color_manual(values = c("black","red"),guide=FALSE)


  })

  output$p2 = renderPlot({
    set.seed(123)

    ggplot(D(),aes(x=week,y=x2))+
    geom_boxplot() +
    geom_jitter(aes(color=vals$keeprows))+
    scale_color_manual(values = c("black","red"),guide=FALSE)

  })

  observeEvent(input$brush_1,{
    Res=brushedPoints(X,input$brush_1,allRows = TRUE)
    vals$keeprows = Res$selected_

  })

  observeEvent(input$brush_2,{
    Res=brushedPoints(X,input$brush_2,allRows = TRUE)
    vals$keeprows = Res$selected_

  })

  observeEvent(input$exclude_reset,{
    vals$keeprows = rep(TRUE,nrow(X))

  })

}

ui <- fluidPage(
  actionButton("exclude_reset","Reset"),
  splitLayout(
    plotOutput("p1",brush = brushOpts("brush_1",resetOnNew = TRUE)),
    plotOutput("p2",brush = brushOpts("brush_2",resetOnNew = TRUE))
  )
)

shinyApp(ui = ui, server = server)

R Shiny, how to stop ggplot boxplots from updating themselves as in a group of linked boxplots

2 Answers2