Getting Started with the Stand-Alone Application¶
What is the Stand-Alone Health Check Application?¶
The stand-alone health check application makes it easy to create the ADM Health Check and individual model reports without coding. You will need to have Python and install pdstools, but you do not need to run a (data science) development environment, and there is no need to create a script - it is all configured from a user-friendly interface.
The application provides:
ADM Health Check: A generic overview of ADM models in your system, including charts like the “Bubble Chart” and many more, with recommendations
Individual Model Reports: Detailed views of individual Bayesian ADM models, including binning details of all predictors
No coding required: Everything is configured through a web-based UI
Excel Export: An Excel file with the model and predictor details for further analysis
Automatic report generation: Downloads ready-to-use HTML and Excel reports
Installation¶
Before installing the Python components, you need to install these external applications:
Quarto: Download from Quarto releases (v1.3.450 or later)
Pandoc: Download from Pandoc.org
These are standalone applications, not Python libraries, and must be installed separately on your system.
To use the stand-alone health check application, you need to install several Python components. Choose your preferred Python package manager:
We have a strong preference for uv as it’s fast, reliable, and handles Python versions automatically.
Step 1: Install uv
If you haven’t yet, install uv from https://github.com/astral-sh/uv. We recommend using the standalone installer, as it has a uv self update function.
Step 2: Create a virtual environment
Navigate to your desired directory and run:
uv venv
Step 3: Install pdstools with app dependencies
uv pip install 'pdstools[app]'
Note: If you don’t have Python or no compatible version installed, uv will automatically install a compatible version for you.
This is the traditional Python approach using pip with virtual environments.
Step 1: Create a virtual environment
Navigate to your desired directory and run:
python -m venv .venv
Step 2: Activate the virtual environment
On macOS/Linux:
source .venv/bin/activate
On Windows:
.venv\Scripts\activate
Step 3: Upgrade pip (recommended)
python -m pip install pip
Step 4: Install pdstools with app dependencies
pip install 'pdstools[app]'
Remember: Always activate your virtual environment before working with the application:
source .venv/bin/activate(macOS/Linux).venv\Scripts\activate(Windows)
⚠️ Warning: Installing packages globally can lead to dependency conflicts. We strongly recommend using virtual environments (see other tabs).
Step 1: Upgrade pip (recommended)
python -m pip install pip
Step 2: Install pdstools with app dependencies globally
pip install 'pdstools[app]'
Consider using virtual environments: Global installations can cause conflicts with other Python projects. Consider switching to the “uv” or “pip + venv” methods for better project isolation.
Launching the Application¶
Once everything is installed, you can launch the Health Check application:
uv run pdstools run
First activate your virtual environment, then:
pdstools run
pdstools run
The app should open up in your system browser. On first run, you may get a promotional message from Streamlit asking for your email address - you can leave this empty if you want. If the app does not open automatically, simply copy the Local URL from your terminal and paste it into your browser.
Using the Application¶
Step 1: Navigate to Health Check
In the app, navigate to the Health Check tab (in the left pane). This shows instructions.
Step 2: Import Your Data
Click the “Data Import” tab in the main screen to load your data. You have several options:
Note
If you haven’t downloaded the ADM Datamart yet, see How to export the ADM Datamart for instructions.
Direct file path: Provide the folder path where the ADM files are located (e.g.,
/User/Downloads/). The tool will automatically find the relevant files in that directory.Direct file upload: Browse and upload your local files through the web interface.
CDH Sample: For testing, you can skip uploading your own data and select “CDH Sample” from the Data Import dropdown.
Note
There is no need to extract ZIP files - the application will handle that automatically.
Step 3: Configure Report (Optional)
The “Report Configuration” section has advanced options but can generally be left with default settings.
Step 4: Generate and Download Reports
Click “Generate” to create the ADM Health Check report. The download button will appear when generation is finished. The downloaded report will appear in your browser’s default download location as an HTML file that you can open in any web browser.
Upgrading pdstools¶
If you already had an older version of pdstools, make sure to upgrade to the latest version:
uv pip install --upgrade 'pdstools[app]'
First activate your virtual environment, then:
pip install --upgrade 'pdstools[app]'
pip install --upgrade 'pdstools[app]'
Troubleshooting¶
Application doesn’t start
Ensure you have installed all dependencies (Quarto, Pandoc, pdstools with app dependencies)
Check that you’re using a compatible Python version (3.9 or higher)
If using virtual environments, make sure it’s activated
Reports fail to generate
Verify your ADM datamart files are in the correct format
Ensure Quarto and Pandoc are properly installed and accessible from the command line
Check the application logs in the terminal for specific error messages
For more help:
Review the ADM Health Check documentation
Check the ADM Datamart export instructions
Visit the main pdstools documentation