bkmrhat
A parallel-chain helper for bkmr that has settled into pure upkeep.
Comparison · Infra & APIs
driveR vs missSBM
A side-by-side editorial comparison of driveR and missSBM — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
driveR vs missSBM: at a glance
What is driveR?
A cancer driver prioritization package that ships rarely and mostly to stay installable
driveR prioritizes cancer driver genes from somatic variant and copy number data, combining coding impact scores, noncoding impact, copy number alteration scores and hotspot annotations into a multi-task learning classification model. Version 0.5.0 added gene-level SCNA data frames as an accepted input to create_features_df(), with an example table shipped alongside, widening the entry point beyond the segment-level format. The same release moved org.Hs.eg.db and both hg19 and hg38 TxDb annotation packages from Imports to Suggests under new CRAN policy, with dependent functions now raising an error when they are absent rather than silently degrading.
What is missSBM?
missSBM returns after four dormant years with a stricter API and a new refinement step.
The package fits stochastic block models to networks with missing data, covering both missing-at-random and informative sampling designs. After a run of releases from 2019 to 2022, the feed goes quiet until this year's 1.1.0, which breaks the control interface, exposes the block split and merge operations as testable instance methods, and adds a node-swap refinement pass that runs after variational convergence.
driveR vs missSBM: editorial side-by-side
driveR
0.0INFRA · APIS
A cancer driver prioritization package that ships rarely and mostly to stay installable
◆ Current state
driveR prioritizes cancer driver genes from somatic variant and copy number data, combining coding impact scores, noncoding impact, copy number alteration scores and hotspot annotations into a multi-task learning classification model. Version 0.5.0 added gene-level SCNA data frames as an accepted input to create_features_df(), with an example table shipped alongside, widening the entry point beyond the segment-level format. The same release moved org.Hs.eg.db and both hg19 and hg38 TxDb annotation packages from Imports to Suggests under new CRAN policy, with dependent functions now raising an error when they are absent rather than silently degrading.
◆ Where it's heading
Releases are infrequent and split cleanly between capability and correction. GRCh38 support arrived in 0.4.0 and cancer-type-specific thresholds were refreshed in 0.3.0, while the 0.2.x pair fixed scoring errors serious enough to require retraining: a column name mismatch meant the SCNA score was not being computed at all, and MCR table coordinates needed converting from hg18 to hg19. Both times the bundled classification model and thresholds were rebuilt as a consequence. Since 0.4.0 the changes have been input handling and packaging rather than method.
◆ Prediction
The move of the annotation databases to Suggests suggests a leaner install is the current priority; the entries give no indication of planned model or scoring changes.
missSBM
2.5INFRA · APIS
missSBM returns after four dormant years with a stricter API and a new refinement step.
◆ Current state
The package fits stochastic block models to networks with missing data, covering both missing-at-random and informative sampling designs. After a run of releases from 2019 to 2022, the feed goes quiet until this year's 1.1.0, which breaks the control interface, exposes the block split and merge operations as testable instance methods, and adds a node-swap refinement pass that runs after variational convergence.
◆ Where it's heading
The new release is maintenance-driven in the best sense: it targets the parts of the codebase that were hard to test or easy to misuse. Replacing free-form control lists with a function of named, defaulted arguments turns silent typos into errors, and pulling the exploration logic out of the collection class makes the search algorithm independently testable without changing it. The polish step addresses a known weakness, reaching individually misclassified nodes that split and merge moves cannot fix.
◆ Prediction
Given the gap before this release, the near-term question is whether the cadence resumes at all; the refactoring it contains would support further algorithmic work if it does.
Alternatives to driveR and missSBM
Other Infra & APIs 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 driveR or missSBM.
metR
A meteorology ggplot2 extension where the netCDF reader became the main event
IsoriX
An isotope geolocation package still recovering from the r-spatial retirement
fdacluster
Functional data clustering grew from one algorithm into a comparable suite
profoc
A forecast combination package that spun its profiler out into its own project
adjustedCurves
A survival curve package spending release after release correcting its own estimates
See all driveR alternatives → · See all missSBM alternatives →
Recent activity from driveR and missSBM
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 26d agomissSBMReplaces raw control lists with missSBM_param(), adds polish()
- 7mo agodriveRGene-level copy number input accepted, annotation packages made optional
- 3y agodriveRCRAN documentation error fixed
- 3y agomissSBMAdapts to Matrix 1.4-2 and fixes HTML5 documentation
- 4y agodriveRGRCh38 genome build supported
- 4y agomissSBMFixes linking against nloptR 2.0.0
- 4y agodriveRCancer-type-specific thresholds updated
- 5y agomissSBMRelaxes CRAN test tolerances to avoid random failures
- 5y agomissSBMRewrites optimisation in C++ armadillo with sparse matrices
- 5y agodriveRMCR coordinates converted to hg19 and the model retrained
- 5y agodriveRCopy number score was never being computed, model rebuilt
- 5y agomissSBMRenames core functions and interfaces with the sbm package
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between driveR and missSBM?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Infra & APIs. missSBM is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), 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 driveR better than missSBM?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. missSBM is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to driveR?
Top driveR alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "driveR alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/driver for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to missSBM?
Top missSBM alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "missSBM alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/misssbm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.