Abstract
BackgroundThe R project includes a large variety of packages designed for spatial statistics. Google dynamic maps provide web based access to global maps and satellite imagery. We describe a method for displaying directly the spatial output from an R script on to a Google dynamic map.MethodsThis is achieved by creating a Java based web application which runs the R script and then displays the results on the dynamic map. In order to make this method easy to implement by those unfamiliar with programming Java based web applications, we have added the method to the options available in the R Web User Interface (Rwui) application. Rwui is an established web application for creating web applications for running R scripts. A feature of Rwui is that all the code for the web application being created is generated automatically so that someone with no knowledge of web programming can make a fully functional web application for running an R script in a matter of minutes.ResultsRwui can now be used to create web applications that will display the results from an R script on a Google dynamic map. Results may be displayed as discrete markers and/or as continuous overlays. In addition, users of the web application may select regions of interest on the dynamic map with mouse clicks and the coordinates of the region of interest will automatically be made available for use by the R script.ConclusionsThis method of displaying R output on dynamic maps is designed to be of use in a number of areas. Firstly it allows statisticians, working in R and developing methods in spatial statistics, to easily visualise the results of applying their methods to real world data. Secondly, it allows researchers who are using R to study health geographics data, to display their results directly onto dynamic maps. Thirdly, by creating a web application for running an R script, a statistician can enable users entirely unfamiliar with R to run R coded statistical analyses of health geographics data. Fourthly, we envisage an educational role for such applications.
Highlights
Spatial statistical analysis with graphical display of data on geographic maps plays a core role in health geographics
Users of the web application may select regions of interest on the dynamic map with mouse clicks and the coordinates of the region of interest will automatically be made available for use by the R script at the press of the ‘Analyse’ button
Running an R script from a web application By using R Web User Interface (Rwui), a web application for running an R script can be created without having to know any technical details and without having to do any web programming, but we give a brief summary of the underlying methods
Summary
Running an R script from a web application By using Rwui, a web application for running an R script can be created without having to know any technical details and without having to do any web programming, but we give a brief summary of the underlying methods. The R script associated with a web application that is designed to display results on a Google dynamic map must write this javascript code to a file. This file needs to be downloaded [50] and copied to the top level directory of an installed web application With this file present a png file written by the application’s R script, and designated as being an overlay in the javascript code, will be overlain on the dynamic map. This file needs to be downloaded [52] and copied to the top level directory of an installed web application With this file present a .kml file written by the application’s R script, and designated as being a KML file in the javascript code, will be added to the dynamic map. The R code that reads in the .Rdata files, creates the correct overlay and produces the summary statistics for the selected ROI can be found in Additional file 7
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