cIRT
A choice-based IRT model published once in 2019 and kept compiling ever since
Comparison · Analytics
fmtr vs manymome
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fmtr and manymome — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
fmtr vs manymome: 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 manymome?
Steady quarterly releases behind a feed that shows almost none of what changed.
manymome computes indirect and moderated effects for path-analysis and SEM models using bootstrap and Monte Carlo intervals. The four most recent CRAN releases (0.3.2 through 0.3.6) publish as bare pointers to the package's own NEWS page, so the feed carries no changelog text for any of them. Where content is visible, at 0.3.1 and 0.2.9, the work is fitting-engine breadth and speed rather than new methodology.
fmtr vs manymome: 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.
manymome
0.0ANALYTICS
Steady quarterly releases behind a feed that shows almost none of what changed.
◆ Current state
manymome computes indirect and moderated effects for path-analysis and SEM models using bootstrap and Monte Carlo intervals. The four most recent CRAN releases (0.3.2 through 0.3.6) publish as bare pointers to the package's own NEWS page, so the feed carries no changelog text for any of them. Where content is visible, at 0.3.1 and 0.2.9, the work is fitting-engine breadth and speed rather than new methodology.
◆ Where it's heading
The legible arc runs toward turning the q_* quick-mediation wrappers into a complete workflow: lavaan::sem fitting with full information maximum likelihood for missing data, a plot method, and user-specified mediation models, alongside repeated optimization of do_boot() and do_mc(). Cadence is roughly quarterly and has held for two years. What the last four versions actually contain cannot be read from this feed.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued quarterly CRAN releases extending the q_* family; beyond that the entries shown do not support a confident call on direction.
Alternatives to fmtr and manymome
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 manymome.
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 manymome alternatives →
Recent activity from fmtr and manymome
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2mo agomanymome0.3.6 CRAN release
- 4mo agomanymome0.3.4 CRAN release
- 7mo agomanymome0.3.3 CRAN release
- 8mo agomanymome0.3.2 CRAN release
- 10mo agofmtrMean and standard error helper, plus best-format variants
- 11mo agofmtrSAS best. format reimplemented in fapply()
- 11mo agomanymome0.3.1 CRAN release
- 1y agomanymome0.2.9 CRAN release
- 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
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fmtr and manymome?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. fmtr and manymome 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 manymome?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fmtr and manymome 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 manymome?
Top manymome alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "manymome alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/manymome for the full list with editorial commentary on each.