Tplyr
Tplyr made clinical summary tables explain where every number came from.
Comparison · Analytics
dfms vs tidytlg
A side-by-side editorial comparison of dfms and tidytlg — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
dfms vs tidytlg: 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 tidytlg?
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
tidytlg generates clinical tables, listings, and graphs from tidyverse-style pipelines, maintained under the pharmaverse organisation. All four releases in the window are from a single eight-month stretch in 2023, and their content is CRAN preparation, a logging-dependency swap, and multi-file support. Release notes are merge lists rather than described changes.
dfms vs tidytlg: 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.
tidytlg
0.0ANALYTICS
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
◆ Current state
tidytlg generates clinical tables, listings, and graphs from tidyverse-style pipelines, maintained under the pharmaverse organisation. All four releases in the window are from a single eight-month stretch in 2023, and their content is CRAN preparation, a logging-dependency swap, and multi-file support. Release notes are merge lists rather than described changes.
◆ Where it's heading
The visible arc is getting onto CRAN and staying installable — vignette corrections per CRAN comments, a badge, a check fix, and replacing the timber logging package with logrx. The one functional addition is multiple-file support. There has been no release since October 2023, so on this evidence the package is stable or dormant rather than actively developing.
◆ Prediction
The entries give no signal about planned work; with nothing shipped in roughly two years, the more likely next event is a maintenance release triggered by a dependency or CRAN check than a feature.
Alternatives to dfms and tidytlg
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 tidytlg.
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.
datasetjson
datasetjson rebuilt its object model to track the CDISC Dataset-JSON 1.1 schema.
See all dfms alternatives → · See all tidytlg alternatives →
Recent activity from dfms and tidytlg
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 agodfmsAdds mixed-frequency estimation via quarterly.vars
- 2y agotidytlgSwaps the timber logger for logrx
- 3y agotidytlgMultiple-file support and table-binding fixes
- 3y agotidytlgVignette update per CRAN comments
- 3y agotidytlgFirst CRAN release
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dfms and tidytlg?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. dfms and tidytlg 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 tidytlg?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dfms and tidytlg 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 tidytlg?
Top tidytlg alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tidytlg alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tidytlg for the full list with editorial commentary on each.