cIRT
A choice-based IRT model published once in 2019 and kept compiling ever since
Comparison · Analytics
fmtr vs lazyeval
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fmtr and lazyeval — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
fmtr vs lazyeval: at a glance
What is fmtr?
Rebuilding SAS's formatting layer in R, one format specification at a time
fmtr applies formats to R data the way SAS applies them: named format catalogues, format lists, and an fapply() that maps a specification onto a vector. It is part of a family of packages that reconstruct SAS reporting idioms in R, and it shares infrastructure with them — labels.data.frame() was moved out to the common package, which fmtr now depends on. The recent releases have been closing specific gaps against SAS's own format vocabulary.
What is lazyeval?
A package retired in 2017 just got rewritten against R's public C API.
lazyeval was the tidyverse's pre-rlang non-standard evaluation layer, formally set aside in 2017 when tidy evaluation replaced it. After eight and a half years without a release, 0.2.3 arrives as a compliance rewrite: the implementation now uses R's public C API, and the release note states it may differ from the historical one in subtle ways. Nothing about the package's role has changed.
fmtr vs lazyeval: editorial side-by-side
fmtr
0.0ANALYTICS
Rebuilding SAS's formatting layer in R, one format specification at a time
◆ Current state
fmtr applies formats to R data the way SAS applies them: named format catalogues, format lists, and an fapply() that maps a specification onto a vector. It is part of a family of packages that reconstruct SAS reporting idioms in R, and it shares infrastructure with them — labels.data.frame() was moved out to the common package, which fmtr now depends on. The recent releases have been closing specific gaps against SAS's own format vocabulary.
◆ Where it's heading
The direction is parity, pursued in small increments. Quarter format codes were added because base R has none; the SAS best. format was reimplemented, then hardened against the variations people actually write; statistical summary helpers like fmt_mean_sd() and fmt_mean_stderr() cover the cell contents clinical tables need. The structural work is largely behind it, including the breaking 2022 move that handed labelling to a sibling package, so what remains is vocabulary coverage.
◆ Prediction
The pattern of adding a SAS format, then a release to handle its variants, suggests the next releases continue filling in format codes and summary helpers rather than changing how formats are applied.
lazyeval
0.0ANALYTICS
A package retired in 2017 just got rewritten against R's public C API.
◆ Current state
lazyeval was the tidyverse's pre-rlang non-standard evaluation layer, formally set aside in 2017 when tidy evaluation replaced it. After eight and a half years without a release, 0.2.3 arrives as a compliance rewrite: the implementation now uses R's public C API, and the release note states it may differ from the historical one in subtle ways. Nothing about the package's role has changed.
◆ Where it's heading
This is a dormancy revival driven entirely from outside, R core tightening what counts as the public C API forces packages using older internals to be rewritten or be archived. lazyeval is still a dependency deep in older package trees, so keeping it installable matters more than developing it. The caveat about subtle behavioural differences is the notable part: a package nobody is developing has changed behaviour in ways its release note declines to enumerate.
◆ Prediction
Expect no further development, only additional compliance releases if R core tightens the C API again.
Alternatives to fmtr and lazyeval
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 fmtr or lazyeval.
MetaboAnalystR
The R engine behind MetaboAnalyst closes the gap from raw spectra to biological interpretation
betaselectr
Standardised coefficients for models where standardising everything is wrong — but the feed only links out
SSN2
Stream-network spatial models learning to run on data that no longer fits in memory
BiocManager
Bioconductor's installer, frozen at 1.30.x and tuned almost entirely through environment variables
dcurves
Decision curve analysis, settled since 2022 and now moving only when its neighbours do
See all fmtr alternatives → · See all lazyeval alternatives →
Recent activity from fmtr and lazyeval
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agolazyevalReimplemented against R's public C API after eight years dormant
- 10mo agofmtrMean and standard error helper, plus best-format variants
- 11mo agofmtrSAS best. format reimplemented in fapply()
- 2y agofmtrQuarter format codes %q and %Q added
- 2y agofmtrFormat lists become readable and writable files
- 2y agofmtrDocumentation and examples expanded
- 2y agofmtrvalue() can return results as a factor
- 8y agolazyevalDevelopment ends as the tidyverse moves to tidy evaluation
- 10y agolazyevalFormula-based lazy evaluation system introduced
- 11y agolazyevallazyeval 0.1.10
- 11y agolazyevallazyeval 0.1.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fmtr and lazyeval?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. fmtr and lazyeval 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 fmtr better than lazyeval?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fmtr and lazyeval 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 fmtr?
Top fmtr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "fmtr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fmtr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to lazyeval?
Top lazyeval alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "lazyeval alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/lazyeval for the full list with editorial commentary on each.