Add gt table and ggplot images to email

Question

I'm trying to add a combination of a gt table and a number of ggplot images to an email for sending to my team.

It's my understanding that to include a gt table in an email it needs to be converted to html using as_raw_html()

When I do this I can add the table to the email body but the column headers get all messed up. When I exclude the as_raw_html I only get the contents of the table and no structure.

Here's a reprex to show what I'm seeing. Any pointers on how I can get the table and images into the body would be greatly appreciated.

library(purrr)
library(ggplot2)
library(gt)
library(glue)
library(blastula)
library(dplyr)

generate_plots <- function(species) {
  
  subset_data <- iris %>% 
    filter(Species == species)
  
  bar_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(x = Sepal.Length)) + 
    geom_bar(stat = "count") +
    theme_minimal()
  
  scatter_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(x = Sepal.Length, y = Sepal.Width)) +
    geom_point() +
    theme_minimal()
  
  box_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(y = Sepal.Length)) +
    geom_boxplot() +
    theme_minimal()
  
  combined_charts <- cowplot::plot_grid(bar_plot, scatter_plot, box_plot, axis = "l", ncol = 1, align = "v", rel_heights = c(5,5,5))

  blastula::add_ggplot(plot_object = combined_charts,  width = 7, height = 10)
    
}

plots <- map(unique(iris$Species), generate_plots)

# CREATE GT TABLE
summary_table <- gt(iris) %>% 
  as_raw_html()

# GENERATE THE BODY TEXT
body_text <- md(glue("
Team,

Check these out....

"))

# ADD THE GT TABLE TO THE EMAIL
body_text <- md(glue("{body_text}\n\n{summary_table}"))

# COMBINE ALL THE PLOTS IN THE BODY TEXT
for (p in plots) {
  body_text <- md(glue("{body_text}\n\n{p}"))
}

# SIGN OFF THE EMAIL
body_text <- md(glue("{body_text}\n\nThanks,\n\nMyName"))

# COMPOSE THE EMAIL MESSAGE
formatted_email <- compose_email(body = body_text)

formatted_email

Adding the gt package owner in the hope of getting a reply, @Rich Iannone

Answer 1

It appears as though applying the gt() function to the iris dataset is not enough, specific arguments need to be set. I came across this repo from the package creator for the iris data and it solves my problem

https://github.com/rstudio/gt/blob/master/tests/gt-examples/01-html-script/html-01-iris.R

The final solution looks as follows:

library(purrr)
library(ggplot2)
library(gt)
library(glue)
library(blastula)
library(dplyr)

generate_plots <- function(species) {
  
  subset_data <- iris %>% 
    filter(Species == species)
  
  bar_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(x = Sepal.Length)) + 
    geom_bar(stat = "count") +
    theme_minimal()
  
  scatter_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(x = Sepal.Length, y = Sepal.Width)) +
    geom_point() +
    theme_minimal()
  
  box_plot <- ggplot(subset_data, aes(y = Sepal.Length)) +
    geom_boxplot() +
    theme_minimal()
  
  combined_charts <- cowplot::plot_grid(bar_plot, scatter_plot, box_plot, axis = "l", ncol = 1, align = "v", rel_heights = c(5,5,5))
  
  blastula::add_ggplot(plot_object = combined_charts,  width = 7, height = 10)
  
}

plots <- map(unique(iris$Species), generate_plots)

# CREATE GT TABLE
summary_table <- gt(iris) %>% 
  tab_spanner_delim(delim = ".") %>%
  cols_move_to_start(columns = Species) %>%
  fmt_number(
    columns = c(Sepal.Length, Sepal.Width, Petal.Length, Petal.Width),
    decimals = 1
  ) %>%
  tab_header(
    title = md("The **iris** dataset"),
    subtitle = md("[All about *Iris setosa*, *versicolor*, and *virginica*]")
  ) %>%
  tab_source_note(
    source_note = md("The data were collected by *Anderson* (1935).")
  ) %>% 
  as_raw_html()

# GENERATE THE BODY TEXT
body_text <- glue("
Team,

Check these out....

")

# ADD THE GT TABLE TO THE EMAIL
body_text <- glue("{body_text}\n\n{summary_table}")

# COMBINE ALL THE PLOTS IN THE BODY TEXT
for (p in plots) {
  body_text <- glue("{body_text}\n\n{p}")
}

# SIGN OFF THE EMAIL
body_text <- glue("{body_text}\n\nThanks,\n\nMyName")

# COMPOSE THE EMAIL MESSAGE
formatted_email <- compose_email(body = md(body_text))

formatted_email