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Get started with modBrowse

Source: vignettes/modBrowse.qmd

Introduction

modBrowse is a Shiny UI module for the Artalytics platform that provides interactive collection browsing with artwork cards, filtering, sorting, and statistics display. It enables platform users to explore an artist’s portfolio organized by collections.

What modBrowse Delivers to Users

For platform end users (collectors, galleries, art enthusiasts), modBrowse provides:

  • Collection Navigation: Browse artworks organized into thematic collections
  • Visual Discovery: Thumbnail grid of artwork cards with quick identification of NFT status, new pieces, and variants
  • Flexible Filtering: Find specific artworks by NFT backing, prints available, sale status, or variant availability
  • Sorting Options: Order by creation date, brush strokes, or drawing time
  • Collection Statistics: Understand collection scope through aggregated metrics (total pieces, hours invested, stroke counts)

Module, Not App

modBrowse is a module package, not a standalone application. It requires:

  • Parent app infrastructure from appPlatform
  • Reactive data context with artist/artwork UUIDs
  • Dependencies like {artutils} and {artcore} for data access

For standalone testing during development, use run_app() with a known artist UUID.

Ecosystem Position 

appPlatform (main Shiny app)
    |
modBrowse, modGallery, modFrames, ... (Shiny modules)
    |
artutils (data access layer)
    |
artcore (infrastructure: DB, CDN)

modBrowse sits alongside other module packages (modGallery, modFrames) as a self-contained UI component. It communicates with the parent app through reactive values, never directly with other modules.

Quick Start

Installation 

# Requires GITHUB_PAT for private repo access
pak::pkg_install("artalytics/modBrowse")

Basic Integration

Add modBrowse to your Shiny app:

library(shiny)
library(bslib)
library(modBrowse)

ui <- bslib::page_fluid(
  modBrowseUI("browse")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  r <- reactiveValues(
    artist = "746b8207-72f5-4ab6-8d19-a91d03daec3d"
  )

  observe({
    r$appdata <- artutils::get_appdata(r$artist, r$artwork)
  })

  modBrowseServer("browse", r)
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

Standalone Testing

For development and testing without full platform setup:

# Launch standalone browse app
modBrowse::run_app(artist = "746b8207-72f5-4ab6-8d19-a91d03daec3d")

Environment Variables

modBrowse inherits environment variables from its dependencies. Set these before running the module.

Database (via {artcore}):

  • ART_PGHOST - PostgreSQL host
  • ART_PGPORT - PostgreSQL port (default: 5432)
  • ART_PGUSER - Database user
  • ART_PGPASS - Database password

CDN (via {artcore}):

  • ART_BUCKETS_KEY_ID - DigitalOcean Spaces key ID
  • ART_BUCKETS_KEY_SECRET - Spaces secret key

See {artcore} documentation for complete environment configuration.

Reactive Data Structure

The r parameter passed to modBrowseServer() must contain:

r <- reactiveValues(
  artist = "746bxxxx-...", # Artist UUID (set by parent app)
  artwork = "99xxxxxx-...", # Artwork UUID (updated by module on card click)
  appdata = list( # From artutils::get_appdata()
    artist = list(
      info = list(...), # Artist profile data
      stats = list(...), # Artist-level statistics
      collections = c( # Named vector: name -> UUID
        "Landscapes" = "uuid1",
        "Portraits" = "uuid2"
      ),
      artDT = data.table( # All artworks with metadata
        art_uuid = character(),
        art_title = character(),
        collection_uuid = character(),
        collection_name = character(),
        is_nft = logical(),
        n_variants = integer(),
        brush_strokes = numeric(),
        drawing_hours = numeric(),
        created_utc = POSIXct(),
        ...
      )
    )
  )
)

The appdata structure is automatically populated by artutils::get_appdata(). The module reads from this structure and updates r$artwork when a user clicks an artwork card.

Key Components

Main Module Functions

  • modBrowseUI(id) - Creates the browse interface (collection selector, filters, cards)
  • modBrowseServer(id, r) - Handles filtering, sorting, and card click events

Statistics Display

Helpers

Theming

Next Steps

For questions and issues, visit the GitHub repository.