zarr-python
Zarr's package split keeps producing standalone tools: a server, now a lazy indexer.
Comparison · DevOps
ellipsis vs httpuv
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ellipsis and httpuv — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
ellipsis vs httpuv: at a glance
What is ellipsis?
ellipsis' checks live in rlang now; the package is a compatibility shim.
ellipsis provides check_dots_used(), check_dots_unnamed() and check_dots_empty() for catching arguments silently swallowed by dots. Its functional development finished in 2019 across the 0.2.0 and 0.3.0 releases. The two releases since deal only with rlang and CRAN, and 0.3.3 makes the rlang dependency unconditional.
What is httpuv?
httpuv ships almost nothing, which is what you want from the web server under Shiny
httpuv is the C++ HTTP and WebSocket server that Shiny runs on. Across this window it added exactly one user-facing function - runStaticServer() for serving a directory - and spent every other release on race conditions, compiler and linker changes, CRAN check warnings, and mime type table updates.
ellipsis vs httpuv: editorial side-by-side
ellipsis
0.0DEVOPS
ellipsis' checks live in rlang now; the package is a compatibility shim.
◆ Current state
ellipsis provides check_dots_used(), check_dots_unnamed() and check_dots_empty() for catching arguments silently swallowed by dots. Its functional development finished in 2019 across the 0.2.0 and 0.3.0 releases. The two releases since deal only with rlang and CRAN, and 0.3.3 makes the rlang dependency unconditional.
◆ Where it's heading
The package built its full surface quickly, hardened it once by switching the check functions from warnings to errors, then saw the ideas move upstream. These checks are part of rlang's own API now, which leaves ellipsis as a compatibility layer for packages still importing it directly. The 0.3.3 change to depend on rlang unconditionally states that relationship plainly.
◆ Prediction
With the functionality living in rlang, the next release is most likely another CRAN-driven fix; there is no sign of new checks being added here.
httpuv
0.0DEVOPS
httpuv ships almost nothing, which is what you want from the web server under Shiny
◆ Current state
httpuv is the C++ HTTP and WebSocket server that Shiny runs on. Across this window it added exactly one user-facing function - runStaticServer() for serving a directory - and spent every other release on race conditions, compiler and linker changes, CRAN check warnings, and mime type table updates.
◆ Where it's heading
There is no direction here in the usual sense, and that is the honest read: the package is a stable foundation whose releases are triggered by the toolchain moving, by R-devel warnings, or by a threading bug surfacing under load. The one recurring theme with substance is connection reliability - WebSocket keepalive pings, race conditions in the I/O thread - which is what actually breaks Shiny apps in production.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued small releases tracking Rtools, R-devel and mime data, with any substantive change most likely coming from a threading or WebSocket issue reported by Shiny users rather than from planned work.
Alternatives to ellipsis and httpuv
Other DevOps 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 ellipsis or httpuv.
clock
clock is turning calendar conventions lubridate hard-coded into parameterized types.
promises
promises drops R6 for plain environments and wires async work into OpenTelemetry
withr
withr rebuilt defer() on base R's own on.exit(), and got much faster for it
htmltools
htmltools spends three releases walking back its own fill-layout opinions
xml2
xml2 relicensed to MIT, then moved its hot accessors from S3 into C
See all ellipsis alternatives → · See all httpuv alternatives →
Recent activity from ellipsis and httpuv
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agoellipsisNow depends unconditionally on rlang
- 1y agohttpuvServes .wasm as application/wasm; mime table refreshed
- 2y agohttpuvrunStaticServer() survives a failed browser launch
- 2y agohttpuvRtools build file update and macOS zlib linking fix
- 2y agohttpuvFixes an R CMD check warning on error format strings
- 2y agohttpuvrunStaticServer() serves a directory of static files
- 3y agohttpuvFixes a race condition introduced in 1.6.10
- 5y agoellipsisLicense changed to MIT; rlang compatibility updated
- 6y agoellipsisR-devel fix and new ?dots_used documentation topic
- 6y agoellipsischeck_dots_* functions gain an action argument
- 7y agoellipsischeck_ functions now throw errors; check_dots_empty() added
- 7y agoellipsischeck_dots_unnamed() added
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ellipsis and httpuv?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ellipsis and httpuv 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 ellipsis better than httpuv?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ellipsis and httpuv 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 DevOps products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to ellipsis?
Top ellipsis alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ellipsis alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ellipsis for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to httpuv?
Top httpuv alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "httpuv alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/httpuv for the full list with editorial commentary on each.