cyjShiny: A cytoscape.js R Shiny Widget for network visualization and analysis.

Area of Science:

• Bioinformatics
• Data Visualization
• Software Development

Background:

• Network visualization is crucial for understanding complex biological data.
• Integrating interactive network visualizations into web applications can enhance data exploration.
• Existing tools may lack seamless integration with R environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce cyjShiny, an R package for embedding network visualizations.
• To facilitate the integration of cytoscape.js-based network graphs into Shiny apps and R Markdown documents.
• To provide utility functions for data format conversion.

Main Methods:

• cyjShiny leverages the cytoscape.js JavaScript graph library.
• The package offers helper functions to transform R data structures (e.g., data.frames) into cytoscape.js-compatible formats.
• It is designed for use within the R ecosystem, specifically with Shiny and R Markdown.

Main Results:

• cyjShiny successfully embeds interactive network visualizations.
• The package simplifies the process of converting R data for network plotting.
• Users can create dynamic network representations within R-based web applications.

Conclusions:

• cyjShiny enhances the capabilities of R for network data visualization.
• The package promotes the development of interactive bioinformatics tools.
• It offers a user-friendly solution for integrating network analysis into R workflows.