metatools
SDTM supplemental-qualifier merging got sturdier, then the package went quiet for two years.
Comparison · Analytics
lobstr vs mlr3cmprsk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of lobstr and mlr3cmprsk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
lobstr vs mlr3cmprsk: at a glance
What is lobstr?
R's object inspector is losing its view of the internals as CRAN closes off the private C API.
lobstr exposes R's internal object representation — sizes, addresses, reference counts, abstract syntax trees. Its two most recent releases are both driven by R's move to a restricted public C API: 1.1.3 stopped reporting a vector's truelength and reworked the reference indicator into refs:n, and 1.2.0 changed what sxp(expand = "environment") shows in order to stay compliant. 1.2.0 also adds src() for exploring srcref objects.
What is mlr3cmprsk?
Competing risks arrive in mlr3, going from a non-parametric baseline to Fine-Gray regression in seven weeks.
mlr3cmprsk extends mlr3 to competing-risks analysis: learners predicting cumulative incidence functions, plus measures to score them. It appeared in February 2026 and reached 0.0.5 by April, adding a Fine-Gray learner and a Brier score along the way. The version numbers say pre-release; the cadence says active build-out.
lobstr vs mlr3cmprsk: editorial side-by-side
lobstr
0.0ANALYTICS
R's object inspector is losing its view of the internals as CRAN closes off the private C API.
◆ Current state
lobstr exposes R's internal object representation — sizes, addresses, reference counts, abstract syntax trees. Its two most recent releases are both driven by R's move to a restricted public C API: 1.1.3 stopped reporting a vector's truelength and reworked the reference indicator into refs:n, and 1.2.0 changed what sxp(expand = "environment") shows in order to stay compliant. 1.2.0 also adds src() for exploring srcref objects.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is being rebuilt inside a shrinking window of what R permits. Each release trades some introspection depth for API conformance while trying to keep the diagnostic value intact — showing promise expressions instead of internal frame structures, replacing named with a documented refs scale. Where the constraint does not bite, development continues normally: src() is genuinely new, and the environment-binding fixes remove long-standing errors on for-loop and immediate bindings.
◆ Prediction
Expect further conformance work, since the notes describe it as ongoing, with any remaining non-API-dependent readouts either reworked or dropped as R tightens further.
mlr3cmprsk
0.0ANALYTICS
Competing risks arrive in mlr3, going from a non-parametric baseline to Fine-Gray regression in seven weeks.
◆ Current state
mlr3cmprsk extends mlr3 to competing-risks analysis: learners predicting cumulative incidence functions, plus measures to score them. It appeared in February 2026 and reached 0.0.5 by April, adding a Fine-Gray learner and a Brier score along the way. The version numbers say pre-release; the cadence says active build-out.
◆ Where it's heading
The package assembled a working evaluation stack fast. It started with the Aalen-Johansen estimator as a non-parametric baseline, added Fine-Gray as a regression alternative, then filled in the scoring side with an AUC refactor and a fixed-time Brier score. Development has run in lockstep with survdistr and mlr3extralearners, which picked up the dependency at 1.5.2.
◆ Prediction
The visible gaps are more learners — cause-specific Cox and boosting variants — and the tuning and pipeline integration the rest of mlr3 expects; the measure side currently looks further along than the model side.
Alternatives to lobstr and mlr3cmprsk
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 lobstr or mlr3cmprsk.
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See all lobstr alternatives → · See all mlr3cmprsk alternatives →
Recent activity from lobstr and mlr3cmprsk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agomlr3cmprskBrier score for competing risks and an AUC refactor
- 4mo agomlr3cmprskFine-Gray learner brings regression modelling to competing risks ⚡
- 4mo agomlr3cmprskAalen-Johansen learner gains standard mlr3 properties
- 4mo agomlr3cmprskCIF interpolation pulled from survdistr
- 5mo agomlr3cmprskFirst release on mlr-org.r-universe
- 5mo agolobstrNew src() for srcrefs; environment bindings stop erroring
- 9mo agolobstrtruelength reporting dropped for public C API compliance ⚡
- 4y agolobstrMoves to cpp11, relicensed MIT, adds experimental tree()
- 7y agolobstrPROTECT error fixed
- 7y agolobstrALTREP sizes computed correctly; obj_addr() stops side-effecting
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lobstr and mlr3cmprsk?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. lobstr and mlr3cmprsk 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 lobstr better than mlr3cmprsk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. lobstr and mlr3cmprsk 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 lobstr?
Top lobstr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "lobstr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/lobstr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to mlr3cmprsk?
Top mlr3cmprsk alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "mlr3cmprsk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/mlr3cmprsk for the full list with editorial commentary on each.