Google collab

How to participate in this workshop?

1. Google Collabs

The tutorial is able to run the code as we walk through each step, you can edit and change the code as it suits you.

The ggplotly() interactive features do not work in Google Collabs. To see the difference the code will be run and the output will be compared within this presentation.

Why use Google Collabs?

  • No installation needed – runs entirely in the browser.

  • Free to use – provides CPU, GPU, and TPU resources at no cost.

  • Easy access – just share a link; participants can start coding immediately.

  • Cloud storage – notebooks and files can be saved in Google Drive.

  • Collaboration ready – multiple people can edit or comment, like Google Docs.

  • Supports many languages – Python, R, Julia, and more with setup.

  • Reproducible – same environment for all participants.

  • GitHub integration – open notebooks directly from repositories.

  • Interactive outputs – supports plots, widgets, and even apps.

  • Great for teaching – consistent interface, easy to reset/refresh.

How to use for this workshop?

  1. Open Colab
    Go to Google Colab.

  2. Open the workshop notebook from GitHub

    • Click File → Open notebook.

    • Select the GitHub tab.

    • Enter:

      KirstyMcCann/2025-Sep-18_Rladies_ggplotly_workshop

    • Choose the .ipynb file from the list.

  3. Save your own copy

    • Go to File → Save a copy in Drive.

    • This makes an editable version in your Google Drive.

  4. Install required packages Run the setup cell in the notebook (this installs R packages if needed).

  5. Download workshop files (data + scripts)
    In the first code cell, clone the repository:

    system("git clone https://github.com/KirstyMcCann/2025-Sep-18_Rladies_ggplotly_workshop.git")
setwd("2025-Sep-18_Rladies_ggplotly_workshop")

  6. Run the notebook
    Use Runtime → Run all to execute all code cells in order.

2. Clone the Github Repository in Rstudio

How to Download the Workshop Files from GitHub (No Git Needed)

  1. Go to the repository webpage https://github.com/KirstyMcCann/2025-Sep-18_Rladies_ggplotly_workshop

  2. Download all files as a ZIP

    • Click the green Code button (top right).

    • Select Download ZIP.

    • Save the ZIP file to your computer.

  3. Unzip the folder

    • Windows: right-click → “Extract All…”

    • Mac/Linux: double-click the ZIP file.

  4. Open the R Markdown file in RStudio

    • Open RStudio.

    • Go to File → Open File…

    • Select the .Rmd file from the unzipped folder.