metatools
SDTM supplemental-qualifier merging got sturdier, then the package went quiet for two years.
Comparison · Analytics
charlatan vs goshawk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of charlatan and goshawk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
charlatan vs goshawk: at a glance
What is charlatan?
R's fake-data generator rebuilt its provider hierarchy so contributors can add one locale without touching the rest.
charlatan generates realistic fake data — names, addresses, phone numbers, jobs, internet artefacts — across many locales, following the same model as faker in Python and Perl. The 0.6.1 release reworked the provider class hierarchy so locale-specific providers inherit from a parent, and 0.6.2 since has been a documentation rebuild that happened to surface a duplicate Norwegian phone number pattern. Activity is sparse and bursty.
What is goshawk?
goshawk's release feed is version-bump automation, not product news.
The three most recent tagged releases are all continuous-integration artefacts: a version bump from 0.1.13.9012 to 0.1.14, an action-skipping bump to 0.1.13.9007, and a date-correction commit. None carries a changelog, and the feed has produced nothing since October 2022.
charlatan vs goshawk: editorial side-by-side
charlatan
0.0ANALYTICS
R's fake-data generator rebuilt its provider hierarchy so contributors can add one locale without touching the rest.
◆ Current state
charlatan generates realistic fake data — names, addresses, phone numbers, jobs, internet artefacts — across many locales, following the same model as faker in Python and Perl. The 0.6.1 release reworked the provider class hierarchy so locale-specific providers inherit from a parent, and 0.6.2 since has been a documentation rebuild that happened to surface a duplicate Norwegian phone number pattern. Activity is sparse and bursty.
◆ Where it's heading
The package's value scales with locale coverage, and its releases track that: early versions added data-type providers, middle versions added locales one contributor at a time, and 0.6.1 attacked the bottleneck by restructuring the class hierarchy so a locale can override a single function. Development has effectively been handed to contributors, with maintainer releases reduced to docs rebuilds and CRAN compliance.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next substantive release to be an accumulation of contributed locales and providers arriving through the new parent-provider structure, rather than maintainer-driven feature work.
goshawk
0.0ANALYTICS
goshawk's release feed is version-bump automation, not product news.
◆ Current state
The three most recent tagged releases are all continuous-integration artefacts: a version bump from 0.1.13.9012 to 0.1.14, an action-skipping bump to 0.1.13.9007, and a date-correction commit. None carries a changelog, and the feed has produced nothing since October 2022.
◆ Where it's heading
The tags follow the insightsengineering release automation — date-stamped names, [skip vbump] and [skip actions] markers, co-author trailers — which means the substance of any release lives in the package's NEWS file rather than here. On the evidence in this feed the repository is dormant.
◆ Prediction
Nothing in these entries supports a prediction about the package's direction; a meaningful signal would need a release that carries actual notes.
Alternatives to charlatan and goshawk
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 charlatan or goshawk.
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See all charlatan alternatives → · See all goshawk alternatives →
Recent activity from charlatan and goshawk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 7mo agocharlatanDocs rebuild surfaces a duplicate Norwegian phone pattern
- 1y agocharlatanProvider classes restructured so locales can override single functions ⚡
- 3y agogoshawk2022_10_13
- 4y agogoshawk2022_08_16
- 4y agogoshawk2022_06_09: [skip vbump] (#156)
- 6y agocharlatanNew locales and providers; allowed_locales() added
- 7y agocharlatanLocale naming standardised; French and Danish data corrected
- 8y agocharlatancharlatan v0.2.2
- 8y agocharlatanSix new providers broaden charlatan beyond names and addresses
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between charlatan and goshawk?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. charlatan and goshawk 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 charlatan better than goshawk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. charlatan and goshawk 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 charlatan?
Top charlatan alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "charlatan alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/charlatan for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to goshawk?
Top goshawk alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "goshawk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/goshawk for the full list with editorial commentary on each.