gistfile1.txt

library(shiny)
library(shinydashboard)

ui <- dashboardPage(
  dashboardHeader(title = 'Survey ETL Tool'),
  dashboardSidebar(),
  dashboardBody(
    titlePanel(tableOutput('var.info')),
    tags$div(id = 'placeholder')
  )
)
# Define server logic required to draw a histogram
server <- function(input, output) {
  dat <- iris
  dnames <- names(dat)
  lapply(1:length(dnames), function(i){
      insertUI(
        selector = '#placeholder',
        ui = fluidRow(
          textInput(paste0('varName',i,dnames[i], collapse = "_"),
                       label = dnames[i],
                       value = dnames[i]),
          textAreaInput(paste0('varText',i,dnames[i], collapse = "_"),
                        label = "Variable text/description",
                        value = dnames[i],width = 700, resize = 'vertical'),
          hr()
          ),
        where = "beforeBegin", 
        multiple = T)
  }
  )
  
  var.info <- reactive({{
    app.inputs <- reactiveValuesToList(input)
    var.names <- app.inputs[grepl("varName", names(app.inputs))]
    var.text <- app.inputs[grepl("varText", names(app.inputs))]
    
    var.names <- var.names[order(names(var.names))]
    var.text <- var.text[order(names(var.text))]
    
    var.names <- unlist(var.names, use.names=F)
    var.text <- unlist(var.text, use.names=F)
    
    
    cbind(var.names,var.text)
    
  }})
  
  output$var.info <- renderTable({var.info()})
}

# Run the application 
shinyApp(ui = ui, server = server)