# User Guide for the RMSTpowerBoost Shiny Application

# Introduction

This vignette documents the `RMSTpowerBoost` Shiny application. The app supports analyses based on uploaded pilot data or data generated inside the app.

# Workflow Overview

The sidebar holds the setup and analysis controls, and the main panel shows the resulting outputs.

1. Step 1. Data Source: choose whether to generate a dataset inside the app or upload pilot data from disk.
2. Step 2. Generation or Cleaning: generated-data users define a simulation recipe; upload users resolve missingness through dropping and/or MICE imputation.
3. Step 3. Model and Mapping: select the RMST model and map the required columns.
4. Step 4. Analysis: choose the target quantity, calculation method, and tuning parameters, then run the analysis.
5. Review outputs: inspect the data, diagnostics, KM plot, analysis tables, and run log.
6. Export results: after a successful run, download an HTML or PDF report. Generated datasets can also be exported from the `Data` tab.

# Sidebar Controls

The sidebar is divided into numbered workflow sections.

## Step 1. Data Source

- `Generate Data` opens an in-app recipe builder for synthetic pilot datasets.
- `Upload Pilot Data` accepts `.csv`, `.txt`, `.tsv`, `.rds`, and `.RData` files.
- Upload mode also exposes a downloadable template and a built-in test dataset loader.
- Each step has explicit `Confirm` and `Reset` buttons; there is also a `Reset` button for the full app at the top.

## Step 2. Generation

When `Generate Data` is selected, the app opens a two-part generator:

- `1A. Covariate Builder` defines continuous or categorical covariates, their distributions, optional transforms, and coefficients.
- `1B. Event Time Settings` sets the simulated sample size, allocation ratio, treatment effect, event-time model, target censoring, baseline parameters, and optional seed.
- Generated datasets can later be downloaded in CSV, TXT, TSV, RDS, or RData format from the `Data` tab.

## Step 2. MICE / Cleaning

When upload mode is used, the app inserts a cleaning stage before model fitting.

- Missing values can be handled by dropping rows/columns, MICE imputation, or a combined pipeline.
- The cleaning panel records what was dropped, whether MICE ran, and whether unresolved missingness remains.
- If cleaning still leaves missing values, the app directs the user to the `Run Log` tab rather than proceeding silently.

## Step 3. Model and Mapping

The current model choices are:

- `Linear IPCW Model`
- `Additive Stratified Model`
- `Multiplicative Stratified Model`
- `Semiparametric (GAM) Model`
- `Dependent Censoring Model`

After model selection, the app asks for the required column mappings. Depending on the model, this may include:

- time-to-event and event-status variables
- treatment arm
- stratification variable
- linear covariates
- smooth covariates for the GAM model

## Step 4. Analysis

The analysis panel collects the study-design inputs:

- `Truncation Time`
- `Target Quantity`: `Power` or `Sample Size`
- `Significance Level (alpha)`
- `Calculation Method`: `Analytical` or `Repeated`

Model compatibility matters:

- `Repeated` is the simulation-based route used in the app for bootstrap-style calculations.
- `Analytical` is available only where the underlying package implements an analytic method.
- The GAM model requires `Repeated`; the app rejects analytical selection for GAM explicitly.

The target-specific inputs then change automatically:

- For `Power`, enter comma-separated sample sizes.
- For `Sample Size`, set the target power.
- Under `Repeated`, also provide the number of replications and an optional seed.

Before the `Run` button appears, the app shows a readiness checklist confirming that data, mapping, and target inputs are complete.

# Main Panel Tabs

The main panel contains the tabs listed below.

## Pipeline

This tab summarizes the current app state and is the landing page when the app opens or resets.

## Data

- previews the active analysis dataset
- shows missingness-related outputs
- exposes generated-data export controls when the current dataset was created inside the app

## Summary

- `Data Summary` reports basic structure and study characteristics
- `Covariate Distributions` provides quick checks of scale, balance, and data quality

## KM Plot

This tab displays exploratory Kaplan-Meier diagnostics derived from the current dataset.

## Analysis

This is the primary results tab. It includes:

- `Key Results`
- `Power and Sample Size Results`
- `Analysis Summary`
- `Power vs. Sample Size`

For power calculations, the plot shows the estimated power at each requested sample size. For sample-size searches, it shows the search path together with the target-power reference line and the selected sample size.

## Run Log

This tab combines the data-cleaning log and the analysis log. It is the first place to inspect when validation fails, model fitting errors occur, or an imputation step leaves unresolved missingness.

## About

The `About` tab gives a short overview of the app and the package.

# Export Behavior

After a successful analysis run, the sidebar reveals two report downloads:

- `PDF`
- `HTML`

If the local environment does not have a full PDF toolchain available, the app falls back to a diagnostic PDF rather than failing silently. HTML export is also available directly from the same download row.