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pedFamilias vs ribd

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

pedFamilias vs ribd: at a glance

FeaturepedFamiliasribd
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesforensic genetics, file formats, interoperability, maintenancestatistical-genetics, pedigree-analysis, relatedness-coefficients, r-packages
Last editorial update42m ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is pedFamilias?

pedFamilias exists to read one legacy file format, and it has that job nearly finished.

pedFamilias holds the Familias file interoperability code that was split out of forrel, principally readFam() and writeFam(). The visible history is short and narrow: URL paths accepted as input, a deduplicate option for files produced by the Familias DVI module, better handling of extra individuals, and a fallback mutation model when stabilization fails. The most recent release is explicitly maintenance.

Read the full pedFamilias trajectory →

What is ribd?

The pedsuite's coefficient engine: broadening what it computes, then making the plots publishable.

ribd computes relatedness coefficients from pedigrees, covering kinship, inbreeding, kappa, condensed and detailed identity coefficients, and two-locus versions of several of these, in autosomal and X-chromosomal form. The IBD triangle is now drawable in base graphics, ggplot2 or plotly, with an optional inset pedigree, and custom relationships can be placed on it. The most recent release is dominated by correctness work, fixing pair ordering and row alignment in coefficient tables and edge cases for pedigree lists, unrelated individuals and self-pairs.

Read the full ribd trajectory →

pedFamilias vs ribd: editorial side-by-side

P
pedFamilias
ANALYTICS
0.0

pedFamilias exists to read one legacy file format, and it has that job nearly finished.

◆ Current state

pedFamilias holds the Familias file interoperability code that was split out of forrel, principally readFam() and writeFam(). The visible history is short and narrow: URL paths accepted as input, a deduplicate option for files produced by the Familias DVI module, better handling of extra individuals, and a fallback mutation model when stabilization fails. The most recent release is explicitly maintenance.

◆ Where it's heading

This is a package with a bounded remit. The format it parses does not change, so releases arrive only when someone encounters a file it mishandles, and the fixes are correspondingly specific. The interesting movement is upstream instead: forrel finally removed its deprecated readFam() re-export in 1.9.0, completing the split that created this package.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued low-frequency maintenance driven by real-world .fam files rather than any planned feature work.

R
ribd
ANALYTICS
2.5

The pedsuite's coefficient engine: broadening what it computes, then making the plots publishable.

◆ Current state

ribd computes relatedness coefficients from pedigrees, covering kinship, inbreeding, kappa, condensed and detailed identity coefficients, and two-locus versions of several of these, in autosomal and X-chromosomal form. The IBD triangle is now drawable in base graphics, ggplot2 or plotly, with an optional inset pedigree, and custom relationships can be placed on it. The most recent release is dominated by correctness work, fixing pair ordering and row alignment in coefficient tables and edge cases for pedigree lists, unrelated individuals and self-pairs.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc runs from generality to presentation to precision. Early releases replaced narrow functions with general ones, most visibly when gKinship() absorbed generalisedKinship() and identityCoefs() superseded the separate autosomal and X-chromosomal identity functions in favour of an Xchrom argument. The middle stretch turned the IBD triangle into a proper plotting surface across three graphics systems. The current phase reads as consolidation, with the newest release listing six bug fixes against four features, several of them alignment errors in output tables, which is where a coefficient library most needs to be exactly right.

◆ Prediction

The two new internal functions in the latest release, inbreedingContributions() and ancestralKinship(), are the kind of thing that surfaces publicly a release or two later, so expect them to become exported decomposition tools. The correctness push through pedigree lists and edge cases suggests the near-term focus stays on hardening rather than new coefficient families.

Alternatives to pedFamilias and ribd

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 pedFamilias or ribd.

See all pedFamilias alternatives → · See all ribd alternatives →

Recent activity from pedFamilias and ribd

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

  1. 12d agoribdCustom relationships on the IBD triangle; six alignment and edge-case fixes
  2. 2mo agopedFamiliasMaintenance release
  3. 1y agoribdkappaIBD() can skip across-component pairs on large pedigrees
  4. 1y agopedFamiliasreadFam() accepts URLs
  5. 2y agopedFamiliasExtra-individual parsing and mutation model fallback
  6. 2y agoribdIBD triangle plots gain ggplot2 and plotly backends, plus inset pedigrees
  7. 2y agopedFamiliasdeduplicate option for Familias DVI files
  8. 3y agoribdTriangle line clipping, automatic plot margins, citation info
  9. 3y agoribdTwo-locus functions overhauled; twoLocusInbreeding and ELR added
  10. 4y agoribdIdentity coefficients unified behind identityCoefs() and an Xchrom argument

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pedFamilias and ribd?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ribd is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 pedFamilias better than ribd?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ribd is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 pedFamilias?

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

What are the best alternatives to ribd?

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