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edibble vs silx

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

edibble vs silx: at a glance

Featureedibblesilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesexperimental-design, grammar-of-design, reproducibility, simulationscientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update2d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is edibble?

A grammar for experimental design that learned to compose designs and track its own provenance.

edibble expresses experimental designs declaratively — units, treatments, records and their allotments — rather than calling a canned design function. Since 1.0.0 its internals run on a Provenance object that records the commands used to build a design, and 1.1.0 added conditional treatments, design composition and a separated simulation step. Recent work has focused on designs constructed from existing data rather than from scratch.

Read the full edibble 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 →

edibble vs silx: editorial side-by-side

E
edibble
ANALYTICS
0.0

A grammar for experimental design that learned to compose designs and track its own provenance.

◆ Current state

edibble expresses experimental designs declaratively — units, treatments, records and their allotments — rather than calling a canned design function. Since 1.0.0 its internals run on a Provenance object that records the commands used to build a design, and 1.1.0 added conditional treatments, design composition and a separated simulation step. Recent work has focused on designs constructed from existing data rather than from scratch.

◆ Where it's heading

Development has moved from vocabulary to composition. Early releases established the core grammar; 1.0.0 replaced the internal R6 machinery with a Provenance object that tracks both internal and external commands, which is what lets a design carry its own construction history. On that foundation 1.1.0 added the ability to add two designs together, express conditional treatment structures, and split simulation specification from execution. The 2025 release turns toward a different entry point — wiring up level edges and unit attributes when an edibble object is built from data that already exists, rather than from a design declared up front.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued work on designs derived from existing data, since that is where the last release concentrated and it is the path least covered by the declarative grammar.

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 edibble 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 edibble or silx.

See all edibble alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from edibble 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. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  4. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  5. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  6. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes
  7. 1y agoedibbleBetter handling of designs built from existing data
  8. 2y agoedibbleedibble 1.1.0
  9. 2y agoedibbleInternals rebuilt on a command-tracking Provenance object
  10. 3y agoedibbleS3 consistency and citation modernised
  11. 3y agoedibbleRd files fixed for HTML5 compatibility
  12. 4y agoedibbleInitial release

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between edibble and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 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 edibble 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 0.0), 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 edibble?

Top edibble alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "edibble alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/edibble 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.