bkmrhat
A parallel-chain helper for bkmr that has settled into pure upkeep.
Comparison · Infra & APIs
fdacluster vs sps
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fdacluster and sps — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
fdacluster vs sps: at a glance
What is fdacluster?
Functional data clustering grew from one algorithm into a comparable suite
fdacluster clusters functional data while separating amplitude from phase variation, aligning curves as part of the clustering rather than before it. The algorithm set covers k-means, hierarchical clustering and DBSCAN, all producing a common caps result object so runs can be compared directly. Version 0.4.0 tightened the interface with is_domain_interval and transformation arguments describing the input data, added compatibility checking between incompatible option combinations, and split the L2 and normalized L2 distances into separate C++ classes to enforce that plain L2 cannot be combined with dilation or affine warping it is not invariant to.
What is sps?
sps keeps sanding down sequential Poisson sampling rather than adding to it.
The package implements sequential Poisson sampling for survey design, covering inclusion probabilities, proportional allocation, replicate weights, and take-all strata. Recent releases are small and tightly scoped: a divisor method helper, an iterator that draws a sample one unit at a time, automatic selection of the replicate-weight parameter, and repeated performance work on inclusion probability calculation.
fdacluster vs sps: editorial side-by-side
fdacluster
0.0INFRA · APIS
Functional data clustering grew from one algorithm into a comparable suite
◆ Current state
fdacluster clusters functional data while separating amplitude from phase variation, aligning curves as part of the clustering rather than before it. The algorithm set covers k-means, hierarchical clustering and DBSCAN, all producing a common caps result object so runs can be compared directly. Version 0.4.0 tightened the interface with is_domain_interval and transformation arguments describing the input data, added compatibility checking between incompatible option combinations, and split the L2 and normalized L2 distances into separate C++ classes to enforce that plain L2 cannot be combined with dilation or affine warping it is not invariant to.
◆ Where it's heading
The trajectory runs from method implementation toward guardrails and portability. Early releases added capability; recent ones prevent misuse and reduce weight - dplyr, forcats, tidyr and purrr removed in 0.4.0, furrr swapped for future.apply - while 0.4.2 is entirely C++ correctness, replacing Armadillo's whole-object finiteness check with scalar std::isfinite and fixing an integer overflow in linear index computation that broke large datasets. Cadence is roughly one release a year.
◆ Prediction
Given that the last two releases were dependency reduction and numerical correctness rather than method work, expect the next to continue in that vein unless a new clustering algorithm is contributed.
sps
2.5INFRA · APIS
sps keeps sanding down sequential Poisson sampling rather than adding to it.
◆ Current state
The package implements sequential Poisson sampling for survey design, covering inclusion probabilities, proportional allocation, replicate weights, and take-all strata. Recent releases are small and tightly scoped: a divisor method helper, an iterator that draws a sample one unit at a time, automatic selection of the replicate-weight parameter, and repeated performance work on inclusion probability calculation.
◆ Where it's heading
Development is consolidation rather than expansion. Most releases either speed up an existing routine or remove a decision the user previously had to make by hand, such as picking the smallest parameter that keeps replicate weights non-negative. Documentation and tooling get comparable attention to the algorithms, with a dedicated vignette on inclusion probabilities and a recent switch of test and documentation infrastructure. The API surface has been essentially stable across the window.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued small ergonomic and performance releases against the existing function set rather than new sampling designs, which is the pattern every release in this window follows.
Alternatives to fdacluster and sps
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 fdacluster or sps.
driveR
A cancer driver prioritization package that ships rarely and mostly to stay installable
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
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 fdacluster alternatives → · See all sps alternatives →
Recent activity from fdacluster and sps
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agospsDocumentation polish; switches to tinytest and litedown
- 7mo agofdaclusterInteger overflow fixed for large datasets, C++ finiteness checks corrected
- 9mo agospsFixes extra argument handling in sps_iterator()
- 11mo agospsAdds divisor_method() and a one-unit-at-a-time sampling iterator
- 1y agospsAdds an inclusion-probability vignette and faster partial sorting
- 1y agospsAutomatic tau selection for replicate weights
- 1y agofdaclusterParallel worker setup and an acronym correction
- 1y agofdaclusterInput description arguments and enforced distance-warping compatibility
- 2y agospsAdds becomes_ta() for take-all stratum sample sizes
- 3y agofdaclusterMedian centroids and centroids defined on unioned grids
- 3y agofdaclusterNamespace notation and optional dependency guards
- 3y agofdaclusterHierarchical clustering, DBSCAN and a shared result class arrive together ⚡
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fdacluster and sps?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Infra & APIs. sps 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 fdacluster better than sps?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. sps 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 fdacluster?
Top fdacluster alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "fdacluster alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fdacluster for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to sps?
Top sps alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "sps alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/sps for the full list with editorial commentary on each.