← Back to home
Comparison · Analytics

gwasvcf vs silx

A side-by-side editorial comparison of gwasvcf and silx — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

gwasvcf vs silx: at a glance

Featuregwasvcfsilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesr, genomics, gwas, bioinformaticsscientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update3d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is gwasvcf?

gwasvcf has stopped adding features and now just keeps proxy matching from failing.

gwasvcf reads and queries GWAS summary statistics stored as VCF, with LD proxy lookup as its most-used entry point. Every release in the visible window is a fix, and all but one land in or around proxy_match(). The last functional addition was gwasvcf_to_summaryset() in 0.1.2, which hands data to gwasglue2 rather than doing new work here.

Read the full gwasvcf trajectory →

What is silx?

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

Read the full silx trajectory →

gwasvcf vs silx: editorial side-by-side

G
gwasvcf
ANALYTICS
0.0

gwasvcf has stopped adding features and now just keeps proxy matching from failing.

◆ Current state

gwasvcf reads and queries GWAS summary statistics stored as VCF, with LD proxy lookup as its most-used entry point. Every release in the visible window is a fix, and all but one land in or around proxy_match(). The last functional addition was gwasvcf_to_summaryset() in 0.1.2, which hands data to gwasglue2 rather than doing new work here.

◆ Where it's heading

The package is in custodial maintenance inside the MRC IEU OpenGWAS stack, and its releases are reactive: each one answers a specific user-reported failure, credited to the reporter. The 0.1.6 pattern is telling — rather than replace the proxy VCF construction, it keeps the original path and adds a fallback only for inputs that fail, so existing results are left bit-for-bit unchanged.

◆ Prediction

Expect further narrow robustness fixes to proxy_match() driven by user-reported VCF shapes; nothing in the entries suggests new analysis capability is being built here rather than in gwasglue2.

S
silx
ANALYTICS
5.0

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

◆ Current state

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

◆ Where it's heading

The cadence has slowed markedly since April, and the content has shifted from structural change to plotting and colormap refinement. That is the expected shape after a binding migration: downstream beamline code needs a stable target, so the project trades feature velocity for a quiet surface. The gap between 3.0.1 in May and 3.1.0 in August is the clearest signal of the deliberate slowdown.

◆ Prediction

Expect further point releases servicing the plotting and fitting widgets rather than another structural change, with feature work continuing to arrive in the 3.1.x minors rather than patches.

Alternatives to gwasvcf and silx

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 gwasvcf or silx.

See all gwasvcf alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from gwasvcf and silx

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 5h agosilxFitWidget fix for loading a fit function from file
  2. 9d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  3. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  4. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  5. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  6. 5mo agogwasvcfproxy_match() gains a fallback VCF construction path
  7. 9mo agogwasvcfproxy_match() handles multi-sample VCFs
  8. 1y agogwasvcfsqlite3 declared in SystemRequirements
  9. 1y agogwasvcfMessage fix in get_ld_proxies()
  10. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes
  11. 2y agogwasvcfgwasvcf_to_summaryset() bridges to gwasglue2

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between gwasvcf and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 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 gwasvcf better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 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 Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to gwasvcf?

Top gwasvcf alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "gwasvcf alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/gwasvcf for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to silx?

Top silx alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "silx alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/silx for the full list with editorial commentary on each.