[O] capture htmlwidgets for export - a pattern in search of a new :results type???

[Cook, Malcolm]

I have been playing with exporting htmlwidgets [1] generated in R code-blocks.

[1] http://www.htmlwidgets.org/  and

Here is a worked example that exports to html

        #+BEGIN_SRC R :session *R* :exports both :results html 
        library(htmlwidgets)
        library(d3heatmap)
        widget<-d3heatmap(mtcars, scale="column", colors="Blues")
        saveWidget(widget,'d3heatmap_widget.html')
        print('<iframe height=700px width=700px 
src=./d3heatmap_widget.html></iframe>')
        #+END_SRC
        #+RESULTS:
        #+BEGIN_HTML
        <iframe height=700px width=700px src=./d3heatmap_widget.html></iframe>
        #+END_HTML

After doing a few of these, a pattern emerges:  using ':results html' in the 
code bock header, and the last 2 lines of:
        saveWidget(...)
        print('<iframe ... ')

I think this pattern motivates considering developing support for "htmlwidget" 
as a new :results type (in addition to 'raw, org, html, latex, code, pp, 
drawer') 

It could be used in combination with :file and understood by the R/org "glue" 
and exporters.

Allowing to write, instead of the above, something like:

        #+BEGIN_SRC R :session *R* :exports both :file d3heatmap_widget.html 
:results htmlwidget :height 700 :width 700
        library(htmlwidgets)
        library(d3heatmap)
        d3heatmap(mtcars, scale="column", colors="Blues")
        #+END_SRC
        #+RESULTS:
        file: d3heatmap_widget.html

The org-to-R glue would have to behave somewhat similarly to how graphics are 
currently handled, however, instead of "printing" the value to the :file, the 
value would need to be saveWidget-ed.

And, similar to image handling, the exported value would be "in-lined" into the 
html, wrapped in an iframe (I presume).

Perhaps there is  a better or more useful abstraction.

Or a better workaround than simply following the pattern when needed (which is 
not too hard anyway).

Any ideas along these lines?

Thanks

Malcolm Cook
address@hidden