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Comparison · Analytics

eiaapi vs washdata

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

eiaapi vs washdata: at a glance

Featureeiaapiwashdata
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesenergy-data, api-client, eia, time-seriesopen data, wash surveys, data package, maintenance
Last editorial update49m ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is eiaapi?

A thin EIA energy-data client whose whole story is making bulk queries survive the API's limits.

eiaapi wraps the US Energy Information Administration API: eia_get() issues a single query, and eia_backfill() decomposes a large date range into chunks the API will actually serve. Three releases across two years cover the package's entire history, and the second and third both exist because of eia_backfill().

Read the full eiaapi trajectory →

What is washdata?

washdata is a fixed survey dataset; eight years of releases have changed only its packaging.

A data package distributing the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey, on CRAN since January 2018. No release has altered the data. The 2018 pair added survey country, year and aim to DESCRIPTION and fixed a README link; everything since — 2020, 2024 and the January 2026 release — is documentation, formatting, badges, repository refreshes and updates for a new rhub version.

Read the full washdata trajectory →

eiaapi vs washdata: editorial side-by-side

E
eiaapi
ANALYTICS
0.0

A thin EIA energy-data client whose whole story is making bulk queries survive the API's limits.

◆ Current state

eiaapi wraps the US Energy Information Administration API: eia_get() issues a single query, and eia_backfill() decomposes a large date range into chunks the API will actually serve. Three releases across two years cover the package's entire history, and the second and third both exist because of eia_backfill().

◆ Where it's heading

The package's development is a single problem being worked: pulling more data than one request allows. Version 0.1.2 introduced eia_backfill() for exactly that, and 0.2.0 fixed it for non-hourly frequencies by adding the frequency and data arguments so it matches eia_get()'s interface and by reworking Date handling. That convergence of the two functions' signatures is the visible design direction — one query idiom regardless of range size.

◆ Prediction

With the two functions now taking aligned arguments, further work most plausibly extends coverage to more EIA endpoints or response shapes. The entries name no specific target.

W
washdata
ANALYTICS
0.0

washdata is a fixed survey dataset; eight years of releases have changed only its packaging.

◆ Current state

A data package distributing the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey, on CRAN since January 2018. No release has altered the data. The 2018 pair added survey country, year and aim to DESCRIPTION and fixed a README link; everything since — 2020, 2024 and the January 2026 release — is documentation, formatting, badges, repository refreshes and updates for a new rhub version.

◆ Where it's heading

Nothing is heading anywhere, and for a dataset package that is the point: the value is a citable, unchanging artifact, and the release history exists to keep it installable as R's toolchain moves. The maintenance cadence matches the maintainer's other nutrition packages, which received the same repository-refresh treatment in the same period. Note also that the tags are backfilled out of order — v0.1.0 carries a later stamp than v0.1.2.

◆ Prediction

Expect further releases only when CRAN checks or infrastructure require them; there is no indication the survey data itself will be extended.

Alternatives to eiaapi and washdata

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 eiaapi or washdata.

See all eiaapi alternatives → · See all washdata alternatives →

Recent activity from eiaapi and washdata

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 6mo agowashdataRepository and toolchain maintenance
  2. 1y agoeiaapieia_backfill() works for non-hourly frequencies
  3. 2y agowashdataDocumentation and formatting updates
  4. 3y agoeiaapieia_backfill() added for large data queries
  5. 3y agoeiaapiInitial release with eia_get() API query function
  6. 5y agowashdataSecond release: documentation and formatting
  7. 8y agowashdataPre-release of the survey dataset
  8. 8y agowashdataFirst CRAN release of the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between eiaapi and washdata?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. eiaapi and washdata 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 eiaapi better than washdata?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. eiaapi and washdata 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 eiaapi?

Top eiaapi alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "eiaapi alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/eiaapi for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to washdata?

Top washdata alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "washdata alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/washdata for the full list with editorial commentary on each.