zarr-python
Zarr's package split keeps producing standalone tools: a server, now a lazy indexer.
Comparison · DevOps
httr vs xml2
A side-by-side editorial comparison of httr and xml2 — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:maintenance
httr vs xml2: at a glance
What is httr?
httr's last releases are housekeeping - the package now points users at httr2
httr is in wind-down. The last release with real feature work was 1.4.0 in 2018; everything since is test stabilization, CRAN-driven fixes, and unwinding a dependency on the httpbin service. Version 1.4.7 removed the vignette contents outright and redirects readers to httr2.
What is xml2?
xml2 relicensed to MIT, then moved its hot accessors from S3 into C
xml2 is the libxml2 binding under most R HTML and XML work, including rvest. Its release cadence is set by libxml2 versions and R CMD check, but two of the last six matter on their own: the 1.3.3 MIT relicense and the 1.3.6 dispatch rewrite that pushed the common accessors into C and dropped three dependencies.
httr vs xml2: editorial side-by-side
httr
0.0DEVOPS
httr's last releases are housekeeping - the package now points users at httr2
◆ Current state
httr is in wind-down. The last release with real feature work was 1.4.0 in 2018; everything since is test stabilization, CRAN-driven fixes, and unwinding a dependency on the httpbin service. Version 1.4.7 removed the vignette contents outright and redirects readers to httr2.
◆ Where it's heading
This is a succession, not a decline. The maintainers are keeping httr installable and passing checks for the very large base of packages that depend on it, while all design work happens in httr2. The pattern across these six releases is unambiguous: nothing lands here unless CRAN, a test service, or a platform forced it.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued patch releases driven only by CRAN checks and toolchain changes; the interesting HTTP work in R will keep landing in httr2.
xml2
0.0DEVOPS
xml2 relicensed to MIT, then moved its hot accessors from S3 into C
◆ Current state
xml2 is the libxml2 binding under most R HTML and XML work, including rvest. Its release cadence is set by libxml2 versions and R CMD check, but two of the last six matter on their own: the 1.3.3 MIT relicense and the 1.3.6 dispatch rewrite that pushed the common accessors into C and dropped three dependencies.
◆ Where it's heading
This is infrastructure maintenance in the strict sense - most releases exist because the toolchain moved, not because the package did. Where the maintainers do choose the work, it goes to performance and dependency reduction rather than new API, and the surface has been essentially stable since 1.3.0.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next releases to track libxml2 compatibility and R-devel format-string warnings; new API is unlikely beyond occasional XPath accessors in the style of xml_find_int().
Alternatives to httr and xml2
Other DevOps 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 httr or xml2.
ellipsis
ellipsis' checks live in rlang now; the package is a compatibility shim.
clock
clock is turning calendar conventions lubridate hard-coded into parameterized types.
httpuv
httpuv ships almost nothing, which is what you want from the web server under Shiny
promises
promises drops R6 for plain environments and wires async work into OpenTelemetry
withr
withr rebuilt defer() on base R's own on.exit(), and got much faster for it
Recent activity from httr and xml2
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2y agoxml2Accessors dispatch in C; glue, withr and lifecycle dropped
- 2y agohttrVignettes removed and redirected to httr2 ⚡
- 3y agoxml2Small xml_find_all() speedup and check fixes
- 3y agohttrStops using the httpbin service in examples and tests
- 3y agoxml2R CMD check fixes and a Windows libxml2 bump
- 3y agohttrOut-of-band auth helper honors the rlang_interactive option
- 3y agohttrFixes an intermittent test failure
- 4y agoxml2Relicensed to MIT, with Hadley Wickham back as maintainer ⚡
- 6y agohttrparse_url() follows RFC3986 for scheme parsing
- 6y agoxml2Rejects multi-element strings; fixes a raw-input regression
- 6y agoxml2Restores reading HTML with non-ASCII encodings
- 7y agohttrDrops the Windows CA bundle override so curl uses schannel
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between httr and xml2?
Both compete on the same themes — maintenance — within DevOps. httr and xml2 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 httr better than xml2?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. httr and xml2 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 DevOps products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to httr?
Top httr alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "httr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/httr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to xml2?
Top xml2 alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "xml2 alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/xml2 for the full list with editorial commentary on each.