← Back to home
Comparison · Analytics

hoopr vs silx

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

hoopr vs silx: at a glance

Featurehooprsilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themessports-data, basketball, api-client, httr2scientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update1d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is hoopr?

hoopR rebuilds its HTTP layer on httr2 to stop segfaulting on modern systems

hoopR is the sportsdataverse R package for basketball data, wrapping ESPN, NBA Stats, NBA G-League, NCAA and KenPom behind a single set of loaders. Version 3.0.0 replaces httr with httr2 across every one of those backends, drops httr from Imports, and routes all calls through shared internal retry and response helpers. The change is breaking, and it exists because the old stack segfaulted against libcurl 8.x and curl 7.0.0.

Read the full hoopr 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 →

hoopr vs silx: editorial side-by-side

H
hoopr
ANALYTICS
0.0

hoopR rebuilds its HTTP layer on httr2 to stop segfaulting on modern systems

◆ Current state

hoopR is the sportsdataverse R package for basketball data, wrapping ESPN, NBA Stats, NBA G-League, NCAA and KenPom behind a single set of loaders. Version 3.0.0 replaces httr with httr2 across every one of those backends, drops httr from Imports, and routes all calls through shared internal retry and response helpers. The change is breaking, and it exists because the old stack segfaulted against libcurl 8.x and curl 7.0.0.

◆ Where it's heading

The package's history is two distinct eras. Through 2021-2023 it grew by endpoint accretion — ESPN stat functions, G-League coverage, the NBA live and boxscore V3 families, on-court players in play-by-play — expanding what could be pulled. The recent work is consolidation instead: one HTTP pipeline, one messaging library, data served from the shared sportsdataverse-data releases rather than per-package repositories. The centre of gravity has moved from adding endpoints to making the plumbing survive its dependencies.

◆ Prediction

With the HTTP layer unified behind shared helpers, expect the sibling sportsdataverse packages to follow the same httr2 migration, and hoopR's own next releases to resume endpoint work now that requests run through one pipeline.

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 hoopr 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 hoopr or silx.

See all hoopr alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from hoopr 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. 4mo agohooprhoopR 3.0.0 moves every API backend to httr2
  7. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes
  8. 2y agohooprData loaders repoint to sportsdataverse-data; NBA live endpoints
  9. 4y agohooprESPN stat functions and G-League coverage added
  10. 4y agohooprCRAN release with documented return shapes
  11. 4y agohooprhoopR 1.4.4
  12. 4y agohooprhoopR 1.4.3

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hoopr 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 hoopr 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 hoopr?

Top hoopr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "hoopr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hoopr 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.