tidytlg
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
Comparison · Analytics
c3dr vs Tplyr
A side-by-side editorial comparison of c3dr and Tplyr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
c3dr vs Tplyr: at a glance
What is c3dr?
A biomechanics C3D reader graduated through rOpenSci review to CRAN, then learned to write force plates.
c3dr reads and writes C3D motion-capture files in R, wrapping the EZC3D library. It cleared rOpenSci peer review and moved into the rOpenSci organisation in April 2025, reached CRAN a month later, and shipped force-platform export in c3d_write() in August. Releases are close together and each one has a clear single purpose.
What is Tplyr?
Tplyr made clinical summary tables explain where every number came from.
Tplyr builds clinical summary tables through a layered grammar — count, descriptive statistics, and shift layers assembled onto a table object. The 1.0.0 release added a traceability metadata framework that lets a user ask which source rows produced any given cell, and later releases extended it to cases the first pass missed. The package is maintained by Atorus within the pharmaverse ecosystem.
c3dr vs Tplyr: editorial side-by-side
c3dr
0.0ANALYTICS
A biomechanics C3D reader graduated through rOpenSci review to CRAN, then learned to write force plates.
◆ Current state
c3dr reads and writes C3D motion-capture files in R, wrapping the EZC3D library. It cleared rOpenSci peer review and moved into the rOpenSci organisation in April 2025, reached CRAN a month later, and shipped force-platform export in c3d_write() in August. Releases are close together and each one has a clear single purpose.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is filling in the write side of the read/write pair. Reading was in place from the start; 0.2.0 extends c3d_write() to force-platform data on a direct user request, and the accompanying work preserves matrix structure on import and tracks upstream EZC3D changes. The review-era releases hardened validation and error messages, so the current cycle can be spent on capability rather than polish.
◆ Prediction
Expect further coverage of C3D block types in the writer and continued tracking of EZC3D releases; the changelog gives no signal of analysis features beyond file I/O.
Tplyr
0.0ANALYTICS
Tplyr made clinical summary tables explain where every number came from.
◆ Current state
Tplyr builds clinical summary tables through a layered grammar — count, descriptive statistics, and shift layers assembled onto a table object. The 1.0.0 release added a traceability metadata framework that lets a user ask which source rows produced any given cell, and later releases extended it to cases the first pass missed. The package is maintained by Atorus within the pharmaverse ecosystem.
◆ Where it's heading
Post-1.0 work has been about completing the metadata story and filling gaps in layer composition rather than adding table types — metadata for missing subjects, add_anti_join(), missing-subject rows, data limiting, and fixes to nested count layers where an inner value appears under several outer groups. Releases cluster tightly after a major version, then go quiet, and the window ends with a patch issued days after the release it corrects.
◆ Prediction
Further releases will most likely continue closing traceability and nested-layer edge cases rather than introducing new layer types, following the pattern of both post-1.0 feature releases.
Alternatives to c3dr and Tplyr
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either c3dr or Tplyr.
rlistings
Clinical listings that keep inheriting their hardest problem — pagination — from the layer below.
hoardr
A cache-directory helper that has shipped nothing but CRAN-triggered patches for seven years.
gigs
gigs redesigned its whole conversion API for rOpenSci, then spent three releases getting the docs to build.
riem
A weather-data client that keeps rewriting its HTTP layer while slowly tightening its API.
datasetjson
datasetjson rebuilt its object model to track the CDISC Dataset-JSON 1.1 schema.
Recent activity from c3dr and Tplyr
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 11mo agoc3drc3d_write() gains force platform export
- 1y agoc3drgcc 15 compilation fix
- 1y agoc3drFirst CRAN release
- 1y agoc3drrOpenSci review lands; repo moves to rOpenSci
- 2y agoTplyrMissing-subject metadata, add_anti_join(), and nested-layer fixes
- 3y agoTplyrMetadata vignette fix and parenthesis hugging
- 3y agoTplyrDenominator logic fix ahead of CRAN release
- 3y agoTplyrReverse-dependency fix
- 3y agoTplyr1.0.0 introduces the traceability metadata framework ⚡
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between c3dr and Tplyr?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. c3dr and Tplyr are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is c3dr better than Tplyr?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. c3dr and Tplyr are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to c3dr?
Top c3dr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "c3dr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/c3dr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Tplyr?
Top Tplyr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Tplyr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tplyr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.