[Feature Request]: Disable select input when there are no choices

[averissimo]

Feature description

The select inputs from assaySpec would improve from being disabled with a placeholder when they have no choices.

For example on the Barplot (or KM module) of the RNA-Seq app app it has a weird behaviour when trying click on the dropdown (see below).

There are some options to implement this

• Use shinyjs::disable/enable when there are no choices
• Use shinyWidgets::virtualSelectInput (already a dependency) that has a disabled parameter

Proof of concept

Click to expand possible patch

diff --git a/R/assaySpec.R b/R/assaySpec.R
index 55d4c7a..f36efdf 100644
--- a/R/assaySpec.R
+++ b/R/assaySpec.R
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ assaySpecInput <- function(inputId, # nolint
   selectInput(
     inputId = ns("name"),
     label = label_assays,
-    choices = ""
+    choices = character(0)
   )
 }
 
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ assaySpecServer <- function(id, # nolint
           hermes::h_short_list(removed_assays), "as per app specifications"
         ))
       }
+      if (length(remaining_assays) == 0) {
+        remaining_assays <- list("No assays available" = "")
+      }
       remaining_assays
     })
 
@@ -129,12 +132,17 @@ assaySpecServer <- function(id, # nolint
         "name",
         choices = choices
       )
+      if (length(choices) > 0 && choices[[1]] != "") {
+        shinyjs::enable("name")
+      } else {
+        shinyjs::disable("name")
+      }
     })
 
     reactive({
       choices <- choices()
       validate(need(
-        length(choices) > 0,
+        length(choices) > 0 && choices[[1]] != "",
         "No assays eligible for this experiment, please make sure to add normalized assays"
       ))
       input$name

Screencast of issue

Screencast.from.2023-08-04.12-54-03.webm

[averissimo]

I created a POC on branch 324_disable-empty-select-encoding@main

[danielinteractive]

Thanks @averissimo , can you make a PR for this since you have the POC branch already? thanks

[averissimo]

Created here

• Disable dropdown on encondings if no option is available #332

@danielinteractive there's a possible simplification that doesn't need any custom message, but adds a dependency to the package.

Please keep that in mind when reviewing the PR