qqman
The Manhattan-plot package for GWAS results, finished and dormant since 2017.
Comparison · Analytics
ggdemetra vs hexfont
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ggdemetra and hexfont — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
ggdemetra vs hexfont: at a glance
What is ggdemetra?
A ggplot2 layer for seasonal adjustment output, filling in one plot type at a time.
ggdemetra is a thin, focused bridge: it puts RJDemetra's seasonal adjustment results — TRAMO-SEATS and X-13 models — into ggplot2 geoms and autoplot methods. Development runs in short bursts separated by long quiet stretches, and the most recent work has been correcting SI ratio handling rather than adding surface. The API is small enough that a single function rename counts as the notable change in a release.
What is hexfont?
A GNU Unifont packager whose real work is making a huge font load fast.
hexfont ships GNU Unifont's hex bitmap files to R as bittermelon font objects, covering the full Unicode range. The last two releases were about load cost and portability: a user-level cache for precompiled fonts, then making that cache read-only by default so nothing is written unless asked. The font data itself tracks Unifont v16.0.02.
ggdemetra vs hexfont: editorial side-by-side
ggdemetra
0.0ANALYTICS
A ggplot2 layer for seasonal adjustment output, filling in one plot type at a time.
◆ Current state
ggdemetra is a thin, focused bridge: it puts RJDemetra's seasonal adjustment results — TRAMO-SEATS and X-13 models — into ggplot2 geoms and autoplot methods. Development runs in short bursts separated by long quiet stretches, and the most recent work has been correcting SI ratio handling rather than adding surface. The API is small enough that a single function rename counts as the notable change in a release.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has been steadily completing its coverage of the seasonal adjustment output surface: component extractors and autoplot methods in 0.2.3, SI ratio plotting in 0.2.5, then two releases of corrections to make SI ratios behave under TRAMO-SEATS jSA models and when no seasonal component is exported. Alongside that, the naming is being tidied — y_forecast() became raw(), and init_ggplot() shortened the setup boilerplate. This reads as a package approaching the edge of its intended scope and spending its effort on correctness.
◆ Prediction
Two consecutive releases fixing SI ratios under TRAMO-SEATS suggest that code path is the least settled part of the package, so further corrections there are the most likely next move. The entries give no indication of new model families or plot types being planned.
hexfont
0.0ANALYTICS
A GNU Unifont packager whose real work is making a huge font load fast.
◆ Current state
hexfont ships GNU Unifont's hex bitmap files to R as bittermelon font objects, covering the full Unicode range. The last two releases were about load cost and portability: a user-level cache for precompiled fonts, then making that cache read-only by default so nothing is written unless asked. The font data itself tracks Unifont v16.0.02.
◆ Where it's heading
Each release does two things — resync with a newer GNU Unifont and shave the cost of using it. The performance thread has been the more consequential one, moving from the ucp argument that restricts which code points get read, to a full precompiled cache. Version 1.0.0 also walked back the R 4.1 pipe to keep the package usable on R 4.0.
◆ Prediction
Future releases most likely follow GNU Unifont's own version cadence, with occasional cache or loading refinements.
Alternatives to ggdemetra and hexfont
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 ggdemetra or hexfont.
constants
The R package for CODATA constants rebuilt its symbol table on NIST's naming so future updates stop being hand work.
austraits
The R client for AusTraits spends its releases chasing the dataset it reads.
fossilsim
A fossil-record simulator that quietly grew a trait-evolution engine.
tern.rbmi
Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.
tern.mmrm
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
See all ggdemetra alternatives → · See all hexfont alternatives →
Recent activity from ggdemetra and hexfont
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1y agohexfontCache becomes opt-in to write; restores R 4.0 support
- 1y agohexfontPrecompiled font cache cuts load time
- 2y agoggdemetrasiratio() fix when TRAMO-SEATS exports no seasonal component
- 2y agoggdemetraraw() replaces y_forecast(); new init_ggplot() helper
- 2y agoggdemetraRe-tagged moments later as 0.2.7
- 2y agohexfontUnifont v15.1.04 and a version accessor
- 3y agoggdemetraSI ratio plotting functions land
- 3y agohexfontAdds code-point filtering and combining-glyph lookup
- 5y agoggdemetrats2df() conversion helper and geom_outlier date fix
- 6y agoggdemetrageom_arima no longer recomputes the model
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ggdemetra and hexfont?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ggdemetra and hexfont 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 ggdemetra better than hexfont?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ggdemetra and hexfont 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 ggdemetra?
Top ggdemetra alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ggdemetra alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ggdemetra for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to hexfont?
Top hexfont alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "hexfont alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hexfont-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.