tidytlg
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
Comparison · Analytics
datasetjson vs spiro
A side-by-side editorial comparison of datasetjson and spiro — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
datasetjson vs spiro: at a glance
What is datasetjson?
datasetjson rebuilt its object model to track the CDISC Dataset-JSON 1.1 schema.
datasetjson reads and writes CDISC Dataset-JSON, the JSON replacement for SAS transport files in clinical-trial submissions. The package went from a thin reader in 2023 to a redesigned interface in 0.3.0 that targets the 1.1.0 schema, uses yyjsonr as its JSON backend, and exposes column metadata as first-class arguments. Development is contributor-driven inside the Atorus and pharmaverse orbit.
What is spiro?
Cardiopulmonary exercise test data in R, one metabolic cart vendor at a time.
spiro imports and processes cardiopulmonary exercise testing data in R, handling the file formats that metabolic carts from Cosmed, Cortex, Vyntus, and ZAN emit, then interpolating, smoothing, and summarizing them into comparable variables. The bulk of ongoing work is vendor format compatibility rather than analysis features — 0.2.4 fixed Cosmed imports failing in rare cases and Cortex imports on newer devices, and 0.2.2 added English-language Vyntus files after 0.1.2 added French ones. The analysis side, spiro_max(), spiro_smooth() and spiro_plot(), has been stable for some time.
datasetjson vs spiro: editorial side-by-side
datasetjson
0.0ANALYTICS
datasetjson rebuilt its object model to track the CDISC Dataset-JSON 1.1 schema.
◆ Current state
datasetjson reads and writes CDISC Dataset-JSON, the JSON replacement for SAS transport files in clinical-trial submissions. The package went from a thin reader in 2023 to a redesigned interface in 0.3.0 that targets the 1.1.0 schema, uses yyjsonr as its JSON backend, and exposes column metadata as first-class arguments. Development is contributor-driven inside the Atorus and pharmaverse orbit.
◆ Where it's heading
The package's roadmap is not its own — it tracks a CDISC standard that is still moving, and 0.3.0 is what happens when the standard revises: object model, read and write paths, and JSON backend all changed together. Performance was addressed in the same pass, which matters because submission datasets are large enough that a slow serialiser is a real constraint.
◆ Prediction
The next significant release will most likely follow the next Dataset-JSON schema revision rather than an internal roadmap, given that 0.3.0 was driven entirely by the 1.1.0 update.
spiro
0.0ANALYTICS
Cardiopulmonary exercise test data in R, one metabolic cart vendor at a time.
◆ Current state
spiro imports and processes cardiopulmonary exercise testing data in R, handling the file formats that metabolic carts from Cosmed, Cortex, Vyntus, and ZAN emit, then interpolating, smoothing, and summarizing them into comparable variables. The bulk of ongoing work is vendor format compatibility rather than analysis features — 0.2.4 fixed Cosmed imports failing in rare cases and Cortex imports on newer devices, and 0.2.2 added English-language Vyntus files after 0.1.2 added French ones. The analysis side, spiro_max(), spiro_smooth() and spiro_plot(), has been stable for some time.
◆ Where it's heading
This is a mature rOpenSci package whose remaining work is dictated by other people's file formats. Each device firmware revision, each regional language variant, and each ggplot2 release generates maintenance, and that is what fills the changelog. The API itself settled early, with the 0.1.0 rOpenSci review pass renaming the protocol helpers to the pt_* prefix and 0.2.0 replacing the confusingly named spiro_import() with spiro_raw().
◆ Prediction
Expect the pattern to continue: import fixes as vendor formats shift and periodic plotting updates tracking ggplot2, with no indication of new analysis capability.
Alternatives to datasetjson and spiro
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 datasetjson or spiro.
Tplyr
Tplyr made clinical summary tables explain where every number came from.
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.
See all datasetjson alternatives → · See all spiro alternatives →
Recent activity from datasetjson and spiro
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agospiroCosmed and Cortex import fixes for newer devices
- 1y agospiroEnglish-language Vyntus files supported
- 1y agodatasetjsonDataset-JSON 1.1.0 support with a redesigned object model ⚡
- 2y agodatasetjsonReads and validates Dataset-JSON from URLs
- 2y agodatasetjsonInitial CRAN release
- 3y agospiroR-devel compatibility and data frame printing fix
- 3y agospirospiro_raw() replaces the misleading spiro_import()
- 3y agospiroFrench Vyntus support and protocol duration control
- 3y agospirospiro 0.1.1
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between datasetjson and spiro?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. datasetjson and spiro 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 datasetjson better than spiro?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. datasetjson and spiro 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 datasetjson?
Top datasetjson alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "datasetjson alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/datasetjson for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to spiro?
Top spiro alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "spiro alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/spiro for the full list with editorial commentary on each.