Packages

This workflow was developed using:

install.packages("xaringan")
install.packages("usethis")

Creating your xaringan slide deck

1. Create a new RStudio project for your presentation:

usethis::create_project("filepath/for/your/presentation/repo-name")

? If you’re not sure where you are on your computer, check your working directory with getwd() and use it as a filepath reference point

2. Create a xaringan deck using a xaringan template:
File > New File > R Markdown > From Template > Ninja Presentation > OK

3. Delete what you don’t need and save your R Markdown file with whatever name you like. If you pick index.Rmd the live link you share at the end will be relatively short.

4. Render HTML slides from the open Rmd file using xaringan’s infinite moon reader:

  xaringan::infinite_moon_reader()

Initialize version control with git

5. Initialize version control of your slides with git:

usethis::use_git()

You’ll be asked if you want to commit the files in your project (with the message “Initial commit”) and then if you want to restart to activate the Git pane. Say yes to both ✅

Note: At the moment usethis names the primary branch “master” by default. Issue #1341 suggests the option to instead name it “main” is in the works.

6. Connect your local project with a GitHub repo:

usethis::use_github()

You could use the function argument private = TRUE to create a private GitHub repository. But you may have to remember to change the visibility before deploying to GitHub Pages.

7. Your new GitHub repo with all of your xaringan project files will automatically open up in your browser

Repo for the R-Ladies xaringan template:
https://github.com/spcanelon/RLadies-xaringan-template

Making and committing changes to your slides

8. Edit your slides as you wish. Commit often! And then push to GitHub. Use the tools provided by the Git pane in RStudio, or use the following commands in the Terminal:

# Step 1: Stage all modified files
git add .

# Step 2: Describe the changes you made to your files
git commit -m "<A brief but descriptive commit message>"

Consider writing a commit message that finishes the following sentence:² “If applied, this commit will…” (e.g. “Change the slide theme”, “Add hello slide”)

# Step 3: Push the changes to your GitHub repository
git push

Deploying your slides

9. When you’re ready to deploy your slides, you can use the usethis::use_github_pages() function which makes the process of deploying via GitHub Pages super easy. I recommend pointing branch to the name of your primary branch.

usethis::use_github_pages(branch = "master")

Note: Your repository must be public for your deployed slides to be available publicly, unless you have a paid GitHub account.

Also, you only need to follow this step once to deploy your slides to the web. As long as you remember to push to your repo any changes that you make to your slides (Rmd and HTML), GitHub Pages will know how to render them.

10. Visit the link provided to see your newly deployed slides! ?
Don’t panic if you don’t see them right away, sometimes it takes a little time. This is the link you will share with the world when you present. Notice it looks very similar to your GitHub repo link.

Link to the R-Ladies xaringan template rendered slides:
https://spcanelon.github.io/RLadies-xaringan-template

Foundation

• Sharing Your Work with xaringan • Silvia Canelón – workshop site
• Introducción al Paquete xaringan • Silvia Canelón – R-Ladies Meetup
• Making Slides with R Markdown • Alison Hill – workshop slides
• Presentation Ninja • xaringan Official Document – package documentation
• Chapter 7 xaringan Presentations • R Markdown: The Definitive Guide – book chapter

Sharing your slides

• Sharing Your xaringan Slides • Garrick Aden‑Buie – blog post
• Functions For Building Xaringan Slides To Different Outputs. • xaringanBuilder – package site
• Sharing on Short Notice • Alison Hill & Desirée De Leon – video resource for deploying via Netlify

Making your slides extra special

• Professional, Polished, Presentable • Garrick Aden‑Buie & Silvia Canelón • useR!2021 – workshop site
• Home · yihui/xaringan Wiki • GitHub – wiki of customizations for xaringan
• Making Extra Great Slides • Garrick Aden‑Buie – talk & slides with xaringan overview and featuring CSS styling and xaringanthemer
• Applying design guidelines to slides with {xaringanthemer} • katie jolly – blog post
• A playground of extensions for xaringan • xaringanExtra – package site
• Custom xaringan CSS Themes • xaringanthemer – package site

Note from the Editor: Silvia’s post is a mini masterpiece of clear, concise writing that elucidates complex technology within the narrow context of explaining a single well-defined task. Silvia does not attempt to say everything she knows about the subject, and she resists digressions that might obscure the path she is laying out. It is an example of achieving clarity through saying less.