tidytlg
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
Comparison · Analytics
dfms vs DoseFinding
A side-by-side editorial comparison of dfms and DoseFinding — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
dfms vs DoseFinding: at a glance
What is dfms?
Peer-reviewed, feature-complete, and now able to hand its models to other forecasting engines.
dfms estimates dynamic factor models in R, the workhorse for nowcasting economic activity from ragged, mixed-frequency data. The package worked through the Banbura and Modugno (2014) specification in stages — quarterly variables in 0.3.0, AR(1) idiosyncratic errors combined with mixed frequency in 0.4.0 — then declared 1.0.0 feature-complete on completing rOpenSci peer review, adding news decomposition to attribute forecast revisions to specific data releases. Version 1.0.1 adds convert(), which exports fitted models to dlm or KFAS state-space objects.
What is DoseFinding?
New stewardship at openpharma, then two releases adding the methods MCP-Mod was missing
DoseFinding implements MCP-Mod and related dose-response methodology for clinical trial design and analysis. In 2024 it changed hands — Marius Thomas took over as maintainer, Novartis was recorded as copyright holder and funder, and the package moved to the openpharma GitHub organisation with roxygen documentation and a proper NEWS file. The two releases since have added substantive methodology: model averaging for dose-response fitting in 1.3-1, and conditional and predictive power for interim analyses in 1.4-1.
dfms vs DoseFinding: editorial side-by-side
dfms
0.0ANALYTICS
Peer-reviewed, feature-complete, and now able to hand its models to other forecasting engines.
◆ Current state
dfms estimates dynamic factor models in R, the workhorse for nowcasting economic activity from ragged, mixed-frequency data. The package worked through the Banbura and Modugno (2014) specification in stages — quarterly variables in 0.3.0, AR(1) idiosyncratic errors combined with mixed frequency in 0.4.0 — then declared 1.0.0 feature-complete on completing rOpenSci peer review, adding news decomposition to attribute forecast revisions to specific data releases. Version 1.0.1 adds convert(), which exports fitted models to dlm or KFAS state-space objects.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has finished the implementation programme it set out in its 2023 vignette and is now working on the edges: interoperability with other state-space packages rather than more estimation methods of its own. The convert() function is the clearest signal — instead of implementing smoothing and prediction intervals natively, it hands the model to packages that already have them. The rOpenSci move also puts it on a review-backed, documented footing that research users can cite.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued interoperability and diagnostic work rather than new estimators, since the maintainer has explicitly scoped the package as complete. Bug fixes against RcppArmadillo releases will likely remain the other recurring driver.
DoseFinding
0.0ANALYTICS
New stewardship at openpharma, then two releases adding the methods MCP-Mod was missing
◆ Current state
DoseFinding implements MCP-Mod and related dose-response methodology for clinical trial design and analysis. In 2024 it changed hands — Marius Thomas took over as maintainer, Novartis was recorded as copyright holder and funder, and the package moved to the openpharma GitHub organisation with roxygen documentation and a proper NEWS file. The two releases since have added substantive methodology: model averaging for dose-response fitting in 1.3-1, and conditional and predictive power for interim analyses in 1.4-1.
◆ Where it's heading
The pattern before the handover was maintenance — R-devel compliance, a bug fix, a link. After it, each release carries a named methodological addition with an acknowledged contributor, plus documentation to match: a longitudinal analysis vignette shipped alongside the interim power work. Housekeeping continues underneath, mostly clearing deprecated ggplot2 interfaces, aes_string in one release and qplot in the next.
◆ Prediction
Given the last two releases each added one method with a supporting vignette, expect the next to follow the same shape. Both additions so far extend the package beyond fixed dose-response fitting, so adaptive and interim methodology is the more likely direction.
Alternatives to dfms and DoseFinding
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 dfms or DoseFinding.
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 dfms alternatives → · See all DoseFinding alternatives →
Recent activity from dfms and DoseFinding
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agodfmsconvert() exports models to dlm and KFAS state-space objects
- 6mo agodfms1.0: rOpenSci review passed, news decomposition added ⚡
- 6mo agodfmsMixed-frequency estimation gains AR(1) idiosyncratic errors
- 9mo agodfmsC++ compatibility with RcppArmadillo 15.0.2
- 1y agodfmsFixes estimation with a single quarterly variable
- 1y agoDoseFindingConditional and predictive power for interim analyses
- 1y agodfmsAdds mixed-frequency estimation via quarterly.vars
- 1y agoDoseFindingModel averaging arrives for dose-response fitting ⚡
- 1y agoDoseFindingPackage moves to openpharma under new maintainership
- 2y agoDoseFindingCompliance update for R-devel
- 3y agoDoseFindingpowMCTBinCount bug fix
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dfms and DoseFinding?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. dfms and DoseFinding 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 dfms better than DoseFinding?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dfms and DoseFinding 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 dfms?
Top dfms alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dfms alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dfms for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to DoseFinding?
Top DoseFinding alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "DoseFinding alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dosefinding for the full list with editorial commentary on each.