randomwalk
randomwalk spent every release getting an R simulation to run in the browser, not on a server.
Comparison · Analytics
ggmapinset vs nswgeo
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ggmapinset and nswgeo — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:geospatialsfcidm-ph
ggmapinset vs nswgeo: at a glance
What is ggmapinset?
A ggplot2 inset-map extension that is now infrastructure for other packages
ggmapinset adds magnified inset panels to ggplot2 sf maps, handling the coordinate transformation, the inset frame and the sf-related stat layers that have to follow it. The 0.5.0 release is aimed less at end users than at extension authors: coerce_centre() is a new extension point required by sibling package ggautomap, and the inset parameter drops NA in favour of waiver() as its default. It comes from cidm-ph, alongside nswgeo.
What is nswgeo?
NSW boundary data for R, refreshed as the official sources move
nswgeo packages New South Wales geographic boundaries for R — suburbs, postcodes, local government areas, Primary Health Networks and Local Health Districts — as ready-to-plot sf datasets. The 0.6.0 release refreshes nearly all of them against new upstream sources, moving postcodes to 2021 ABS boundaries and taking LHD boundaries from a new official feed. It is maintained by cidm-ph alongside the mapping packages that consume it, including ggmapinset.
ggmapinset vs nswgeo: editorial side-by-side
ggmapinset
0.0ANALYTICS
A ggplot2 inset-map extension that is now infrastructure for other packages
◆ Current state
ggmapinset adds magnified inset panels to ggplot2 sf maps, handling the coordinate transformation, the inset frame and the sf-related stat layers that have to follow it. The 0.5.0 release is aimed less at end users than at extension authors: coerce_centre() is a new extension point required by sibling package ggautomap, and the inset parameter drops NA in favour of waiver() as its default. It comes from cidm-ph, alongside nswgeo.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has moved steadily from feature to foundation. 0.3.0 replaced confusing parameter names and rebuilt everything on stat_sf_inset() so coordinate limits stayed correct, then exposed transform_to_inset() explicitly for extension developers. 0.4.0 generalised inset shapes beyond circles to rectangles and arbitrary sf geometries. 0.5.0 continues in that direction, changing defaults in ways that require downstream extensions to adapt — the cost of being depended upon.
◆ Prediction
Expect further extension points driven by what ggautomap and the other cidm-ph mapping packages need, with the user-facing inset API staying largely settled after the shape generalisation.
nswgeo
0.0ANALYTICS
NSW boundary data for R, refreshed as the official sources move
◆ Current state
nswgeo packages New South Wales geographic boundaries for R — suburbs, postcodes, local government areas, Primary Health Networks and Local Health Districts — as ready-to-plot sf datasets. The 0.6.0 release refreshes nearly all of them against new upstream sources, moving postcodes to 2021 ABS boundaries and taking LHD boundaries from a new official feed. It is maintained by cidm-ph alongside the mapping packages that consume it, including ggmapinset.
◆ Where it's heading
Every release is dictated by an upstream release calendar rather than a roadmap: the 2023 ASGS, then 2024, then the 2021 ABS postcode boundaries and the new LHD source. That makes field-name churn the package's defining hazard — LGA_NAME_2021 to LGA_NAME_2023 to LGA_NAME_2024, and now lhd_name carrying a Local Health District suffix. The maintainer's habit of registering compatibility aliases through cartographer shows an awareness that these renames break downstream code silently.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next release to track the following ASGS edition with another round of field renames, and any new content to stay in the health-geography area the package's users work in.
Alternatives to ggmapinset and nswgeo
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 ggmapinset or nswgeo.
fastml
fastml added survival modelling and leakage-proof resampling, moving past classification and regression.
abclass
abclass built out angle-based classifiers in 2022, then went quiet except for CRAN upkeep.
churon
churon is spending its entire release history getting a Rust ONNX binding through CRAN.
firatheme
firatheme woke up after four years and started fixing what ggplot2 changed underneath it.
bagyo
bagyo reached CRAN as a Philippine tropical cyclone dataset, with its tags stamped out of order.
See all ggmapinset alternatives → · See all nswgeo alternatives →
Recent activity from ggmapinset and nswgeo
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agonswgeoSuburb, postcode, PHN and LHD boundaries all refreshed
- 4mo agoggmapinsetNew extension point for ggautomap; waiver() replaces NA
- 6mo agonswgeonswgeo 0.5.1
- 1y agoggmapinsetRectangular and arbitrary sf inset shapes
- 1y agonswgeoUpdated to the 2024 ASGS release
- 2y agonswgeoTerritories, PHN maps and the outline() helper added
- 3y agoggmapinsetRebuilt on stat_sf_inset() with corrected coordinate limits
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ggmapinset and nswgeo?
Both compete on the same themes — geospatial, sf, cidm-ph — within Analytics. ggmapinset and nswgeo 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 ggmapinset better than nswgeo?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ggmapinset and nswgeo 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 ggmapinset?
Top ggmapinset alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ggmapinset alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ggmapinset for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to nswgeo?
Top nswgeo alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "nswgeo alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/nswgeo for the full list with editorial commentary on each.