# Generating Templates with table_templates.R

#### Yolanda Zhou ([`yolandazzz13`])

#### 2025-07-22

## Overview

This vignette demonstrates how to use predefined templates to create new R scripts for generating tables.The core idea is to provide a set of standard templates for common statistical tables, such as those for demography (`t_dm_slide`). Users can then modify them to suit their specific datasets and analysis needs.

## List available templates

Before generating a template, you can view all supported table templates using the `list_all_templates()` function:

To get started, first navigate to your `autoslider.core` repo directory, make sure you have installed the `autoslider.core` package:

    setwd("~/path/to/autoslider.core")

    devtools::load_all()

    list_all_templates()

This will return a character vector of supported templates (e.g., `t_dm_slide`, `g_ae_slide`, etc.), each corresponding to a table type stored in the `R/` folder of the package.

## Generate a template for your own table

Use the `use_template()` function to generate a template script that you can customize. For example:

    use_template(template = "t_dm_slide", function_name = "demography")

This will create a file with the demography template at `./programs/R/demography.R`

To create multiple variations of the same template type, you could choose your custom numbering/enumeration style simply by passing in different `function_names`. For example:

    use_template(template = "l_ae_slide", function_name = "l_ae_slide_001")
    # which generates an Adverse Events listing at ./programs/R/l_ae_slide_001.R

    use_template(template = "l_ae_slide", function_name = "l_ae_slide_v2")
    # which generates an Adverse Events listing at ./programs/R/l_ae_slide_v2.R

### Notes

- The `template` argument must match one of the entries in list_all_templates().

- If a file with the same name already exists, it will not be overwritten unless you set `overwrite = TRUE`.

- In interactive mode, the generated file will open in your R editor for immediate editing.

## Customize the template

Once the script is generated, you can modify it to suit your dataset or statistical needs. For instance, you can:

- Add or remove table columns

- Customize labels and formatting

- Modify the summary statistics