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cTMed vs silx

A side-by-side editorial comparison of cTMed and silx — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

cTMed vs silx: at a glance

FeaturecTMedsilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score2.55.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmediation-analysis, continuous-time-models, r-package, statistical-methodsscientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update1d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is cTMed?

Continuous-time mediation effects get standardized centrality, six years into steady patch work

cTMed computes direct, indirect and total effects for continuous-time mediation models, with delta-method, Monte Carlo and bootstrap variants of each. Development is a long run of patch releases from the jeksterslab account, roughly every two months, each adding a function or two. The latest adds standardized centrality measures and allows a diagonal sigma across ten standardized estimators.

Read the full cTMed trajectory →

What is silx?

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

Read the full silx trajectory →

cTMed vs silx: editorial side-by-side

C
cTMed
ANALYTICS
2.5

Continuous-time mediation effects get standardized centrality, six years into steady patch work

◆ Current state

cTMed computes direct, indirect and total effects for continuous-time mediation models, with delta-method, Monte Carlo and bootstrap variants of each. Development is a long run of patch releases from the jeksterslab account, roughly every two months, each adding a function or two. The latest adds standardized centrality measures and allows a diagonal sigma across ten standardized estimators.

◆ Where it's heading

The package is filling out a matrix rather than changing shape: for each effect type there is a delta-method, a Monte Carlo and a bootstrap path, and each release closes another cell. The 2025 releases were largely externally forced — an Armadillo 15.0.x transition at CRAN, a citation addition after the Psychological Methods paper landed — which suggests the statistical core has been settled since the 1.0.6 standardization revision.

◆ Prediction

The diagonal-sigma option has now reached the standardized estimators; extending it to the remaining unstandardized variants is the obvious next cell to fill.

S
silx
ANALYTICS
5.0

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

◆ Current state

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

◆ Where it's heading

The cadence has slowed markedly since April, and the content has shifted from structural change to plotting and colormap refinement. That is the expected shape after a binding migration: downstream beamline code needs a stable target, so the project trades feature velocity for a quiet surface. The gap between 3.0.1 in May and 3.1.0 in August is the clearest signal of the deliberate slowdown.

◆ Prediction

Expect further point releases servicing the plotting and fitting widgets rather than another structural change, with feature work continuing to arrive in the 3.1.x minors rather than patches.

Alternatives to cTMed and silx

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 cTMed or silx.

See all cTMed alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from cTMed and silx

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 5h agosilxFitWidget fix for loading a fit function from file
  2. 9d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  3. 28d agocTMedStandardized centrality measures and diagonal-sigma support
  4. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  5. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  6. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  7. 6mo agocTMedMinor method edits
  8. 10mo agocTMedPackage citation added for the Psychological Methods paper
  9. 10mo agocTMedArmadillo 15.0.x compatibility for CRAN
  10. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes
  11. 1y agocTMedStandardization reworked around the steady-state covariance matrix
  12. 1y agocTMedBootstrap centrality estimators and MCPhiSigma()

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cTMed and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is cTMed better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to cTMed?

Top cTMed alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "cTMed alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ctmed for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to silx?

Top silx alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "silx alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/silx for the full list with editorial commentary on each.