paleobuddy
paleobuddy can now simulate trait-dependent diversification, not just birth-death.
Comparison · Analytics
SimInf vs tidytab
A side-by-side editorial comparison of SimInf and tidytab — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
SimInf vs tidytab: at a glance
What is SimInf?
SimInf 10.0 turns an epidemic simulator into a tool that fits models to real time series
SimInf simulates stochastic disease spread over networks of nodes, with a model parser that compiles user-specified transitions to C. Version 10.0.0 was a deliberate major break: the SimInf_pfilter S4 class and the bootstrap filtering interface were redesigned, a replicates slot was added to SimInf_model, a multi-particle variant of the split-step solver arrived, and the package gained Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting against observed time series. The follow-up 10.1.0 is a single zero-length memcpy fix found by CRAN's M1 checks.
What is tidytab?
A young tabulation helper whose first releases are all dependency modernisation
tidytab is a small R package for tidyverse-style tabulation, three releases into its public life. Nothing so far has added functionality: 0.2.0 fixed a cumulative-percentage calculation and moved to the base R pipe, and 0.3.0 swapped a retired purrr function for tidyr::expand_grid. The one substantive user-facing item in the history is the cumulative percentage fix.
SimInf vs tidytab: editorial side-by-side
SimInf
0.0ANALYTICS
SimInf 10.0 turns an epidemic simulator into a tool that fits models to real time series
◆ Current state
SimInf simulates stochastic disease spread over networks of nodes, with a model parser that compiles user-specified transitions to C. Version 10.0.0 was a deliberate major break: the SimInf_pfilter S4 class and the bootstrap filtering interface were redesigned, a replicates slot was added to SimInf_model, a multi-particle variant of the split-step solver arrived, and the package gained Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting against observed time series. The follow-up 10.1.0 is a single zero-length memcpy fix found by CRAN's M1 checks.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has been moving from simulation toward inference for several releases. The 9.x line built the input side — utilities for cleaning raw individual event data, variables and enumeration constants in the model parser — and 10.0.0 closed the loop by making the simulator fittable to data through PMCMC. The version number was incremented precisely because that required breaking the particle filter interface.
◆ Prediction
Fitting machinery this new usually needs a second pass on usability, so the next releases most likely focus on diagnostics and documentation around PMCMC rather than on the simulation core, which has been stable across the whole 9.x and 10.x history.
tidytab
0.0ANALYTICS
A young tabulation helper whose first releases are all dependency modernisation
◆ Current state
tidytab is a small R package for tidyverse-style tabulation, three releases into its public life. Nothing so far has added functionality: 0.2.0 fixed a cumulative-percentage calculation and moved to the base R pipe, and 0.3.0 swapped a retired purrr function for tidyr::expand_grid. The one substantive user-facing item in the history is the cumulative percentage fix.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is being brought up to current tidyverse conventions by a wave of first-time contributors — six of them in 0.2.0 alone — rather than developed by a sustained maintainer effort. That makes the near-term direction predictable and narrow: retire deprecated idioms, keep CRAN checks clean. There is not yet enough history to say what the package intends to become.
◆ Prediction
With deprecated tidyselect and purrr usage now cleared, the remaining work of this kind is thin, so the next release will show whether the contributor interest converts into new tabulation features or the package settles at its current surface.
Alternatives to SimInf and tidytab
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 SimInf or tidytab.
geodist
geodist stays dependency-free and fast, and warns you when 'cheap' distances stop being honest.
errors
errors keeps making uncertainty print the way each scientific field expects.
CMAQ
CMAQ went global in v5.5, and has been patching that surface ever since.
enpls
enpls has not changed its statistics since 2016 — only its website, twice.
grex
grex is a lookup table with a version number — it ships when the annotation moves.
See all SimInf alternatives → · See all tidytab alternatives →
Recent activity from SimInf and tidytab
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 7mo agotidytabpurrr::cross2() replaced with tidyr::expand_grid()
- 8mo agotidytabCumulative percentage fixed; base pipe replaces magrittr
- 9mo agoSimInfAvoid memcpy on zero-length continuous state vector
- 9mo agotidytabNEWS.md added to track changes
- 9mo agoSimInfPMCMC fitting arrives; particle filter interface redesigned ⚡
- 2y agoSimInfDocumentation link anchors; parser dependency fix
- 2y agoSimInfModel parser gains variables and enumeration constants
- 2y agoSimInfindividual_events() added for raw event data cleaning
- 3y agoSimInfConfigure script uses R to locate the compiler
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SimInf and tidytab?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. SimInf and tidytab 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 SimInf better than tidytab?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SimInf and tidytab 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 SimInf?
Top SimInf alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SimInf alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/siminf-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to tidytab?
Top tidytab alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tidytab alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tidytab-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.