zarr-python
Zarr's package split keeps producing standalone tools: a server, now a lazy indexer.
Comparison · DevOps
cpp11 vs ellipsis
A side-by-side editorial comparison of cpp11 and ellipsis — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
cpp11 vs ellipsis: at a glance
What is cpp11?
cpp11 has spent two years rebuilding itself on R's supported API surface
cpp11 is the header-only C++ interface for R packages, and nearly every release in this window is governed by one force: R core's tightening of what counts as non-API. 0.5.0 removed the growable-vector internals that made push_back() cheap, 0.5.3 and 0.5.4 removed further non-API usage, and the small releases in between are crash and compiler-warning fixes.
What is ellipsis?
ellipsis' checks live in rlang now; the package is a compatibility shim.
ellipsis provides check_dots_used(), check_dots_unnamed() and check_dots_empty() for catching arguments silently swallowed by dots. Its functional development finished in 2019 across the 0.2.0 and 0.3.0 releases. The two releases since deal only with rlang and CRAN, and 0.3.3 makes the rlang dependency unconditional.
cpp11 vs ellipsis: editorial side-by-side
cpp11
0.0DEVOPS
cpp11 has spent two years rebuilding itself on R's supported API surface
◆ Current state
cpp11 is the header-only C++ interface for R packages, and nearly every release in this window is governed by one force: R core's tightening of what counts as non-API. 0.5.0 removed the growable-vector internals that made push_back() cheap, 0.5.3 and 0.5.4 removed further non-API usage, and the small releases in between are crash and compiler-warning fixes.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is trading a little performance for the right to keep passing CRAN checks indefinitely, and saying so plainly in the release notes. With R >= 4.0 now required, whole compatibility branches have been deleted rather than maintained. The remaining work is narrow: finish the non-API migration, then get back to interface features like cpp_source() handling multiple files.
◆ Prediction
Expect the last non-API dependencies to be cleared and the deprecated compatibility defines to be removed outright; the entries suggest maintenance discipline rather than new C++ surface.
ellipsis
0.0DEVOPS
ellipsis' checks live in rlang now; the package is a compatibility shim.
◆ Current state
ellipsis provides check_dots_used(), check_dots_unnamed() and check_dots_empty() for catching arguments silently swallowed by dots. Its functional development finished in 2019 across the 0.2.0 and 0.3.0 releases. The two releases since deal only with rlang and CRAN, and 0.3.3 makes the rlang dependency unconditional.
◆ Where it's heading
The package built its full surface quickly, hardened it once by switching the check functions from warnings to errors, then saw the ideas move upstream. These checks are part of rlang's own API now, which leaves ellipsis as a compatibility layer for packages still importing it directly. The 0.3.3 change to depend on rlang unconditionally states that relationship plainly.
◆ Prediction
With the functionality living in rlang, the next release is most likely another CRAN-driven fix; there is no sign of new checks being added here.
Alternatives to cpp11 and ellipsis
Other DevOps 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 cpp11 or ellipsis.
clock
clock is turning calendar conventions lubridate hard-coded into parameterized types.
httpuv
httpuv ships almost nothing, which is what you want from the web server under Shiny
promises
promises drops R6 for plain environments and wires async work into OpenTelemetry
withr
withr rebuilt defer() on base R's own on.exit(), and got much faster for it
htmltools
htmltools spends three releases walking back its own fill-layout opinions
See all cpp11 alternatives → · See all ellipsis alternatives →
Recent activity from cpp11 and ellipsis
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 3mo agocpp11cpp_source() accepts multiple files; template crash fixed
- 4mo agoellipsisNow depends unconditionally on rlang
- 4mo agocpp11R_NamespaceRegistry usage removed
- 6mo agocpp11ATTRIB() removed; C++ compatibility headers tidied
- 1y agocpp11cpp11 0.5.2
- 1y agocpp11R 4.0 required; unwind-protect and ALTREP defines retired
- 1y agocpp11Growable-vector internals dropped for R's supported API ⚡
- 5y agoellipsisLicense changed to MIT; rlang compatibility updated
- 6y agoellipsisR-devel fix and new ?dots_used documentation topic
- 6y agoellipsischeck_dots_* functions gain an action argument
- 7y agoellipsischeck_ functions now throw errors; check_dots_empty() added
- 7y agoellipsischeck_dots_unnamed() added
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cpp11 and ellipsis?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. cpp11 and ellipsis 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 cpp11 better than ellipsis?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. cpp11 and ellipsis 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 DevOps products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to cpp11?
Top cpp11 alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "cpp11 alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/cpp11 for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to ellipsis?
Top ellipsis alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ellipsis alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ellipsis for the full list with editorial commentary on each.