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Comparison · Analytics
spEDM vs TLF-Library
A side-by-side editorial comparison of spEDM and TLF-Library — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
spEDM vs TLF-Library: at a glance
What is spEDM?
Spatial causal discovery in R, one exposed method per release
spEDM brings empirical dynamic modeling to spatial data — cross mapping, convergent cross mapping and pattern causality over spatial vector and raster inputs, with the numerics in C++ behind S4 generics. The recent releases have exposed geographical pattern causality and spatially convergent partial cross mapping at the R level with vignettes, and 1.12 turns to consolidating the API. It is part of the stscl family alongside the temporal-domain tEDM, with which it shares both its C++ core and its maintainer.
What is TLF-Library?
The Open Systems Pharmacology plotting layer spent 2025 absorbing a ggplot2 major break.
tlf is the plotting library behind Open Systems Pharmacology's tables, listings and figures — a ggplot2 wrapper producing the PK/PD reporting output the OSP suite generates. Recent work splits into two strands: a feature set adding Lower Limit Of Quantification annotation to time-profile and observed-vs-predicted plots alongside a reworked axis-limits API, and then hot fixes to survive ggplot2 v4.0.0's breaking changes. The axis change is the substantive one, separating cropping the view from filtering the data behind it.
spEDM vs TLF-Library: editorial side-by-side
spEDM
0.0ANALYTICS
Spatial causal discovery in R, one exposed method per release
◆ Current state
spEDM brings empirical dynamic modeling to spatial data — cross mapping, convergent cross mapping and pattern causality over spatial vector and raster inputs, with the numerics in C++ behind S4 generics. The recent releases have exposed geographical pattern causality and spatially convergent partial cross mapping at the R level with vignettes, and 1.12 turns to consolidating the API. It is part of the stscl family alongside the temporal-domain tEDM, with which it shares both its C++ core and its maintainer.
◆ Where it's heading
The cadence is steady and predictable: each release surfaces one more EDM method as an R-level API with a vignette, then spends the rest of its notes on parameter-handling consistency across the generics. Breaking changes are frequent and deliberate — argument renames, parameter reordering, NA-handling defaults — which reads as a package still settling its interface while the method surface expands. Shared changes appear in tEDM within days, so interface churn lands on both packages at once.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next release to expose another causality variant at the R level with an accompanying vignette, and to continue renaming or reordering parameters toward consistency across the spatial and temporal packages.
TLF-Library
0.0ANALYTICS
The Open Systems Pharmacology plotting layer spent 2025 absorbing a ggplot2 major break.
◆ Current state
tlf is the plotting library behind Open Systems Pharmacology's tables, listings and figures — a ggplot2 wrapper producing the PK/PD reporting output the OSP suite generates. Recent work splits into two strands: a feature set adding Lower Limit Of Quantification annotation to time-profile and observed-vs-predicted plots alongside a reworked axis-limits API, and then hot fixes to survive ggplot2 v4.0.0's breaking changes. The axis change is the substantive one, separating cropping the view from filtering the data behind it.
◆ Where it's heading
The library is maturing into a stable reporting dependency rather than growing new plot types — the newest releases are watermark placement, log-tick safety and upstream compatibility, not new figures. Its exposure is to ggplot2: v4.0.0 required same-day hot fixes, which is the risk profile of a wrapper this thin. Note that this feed's version numbers and publication stamps disagree, with 1.5.170 stamped four months before the lower-numbered 1.5.158, so the release order has to be read from version numbers and the changelog ranges rather than from the feed order.
◆ Prediction
With the ggplot2 v4 fallout patched and the LLOQ work promoted to a stable 1.6 line, the next releases most likely continue as small rendering fixes. Nothing in these entries points to a new plot class in progress.
Alternatives to spEDM and TLF-Library
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 spEDM or TLF-Library.
cfbfastr
College football's open data client hit v2 — and now reports how many API calls you have left.
rnpn
The USA phenology data client rebuilt its entire stack and stopped handing users -9999 as a number.
GeneNMF
GeneNMF rebuilt how it derives meta-programs, changing every result it had produced.
rempsyc
Publication-ready psychology tables and plots, tracking APA style as closely as the software allows.
sdsfun
A spatial-statistics utility package exists to be depended on, and is built accordingly.
See all spEDM alternatives → · See all TLF-Library alternatives →
Recent activity from spEDM and TLF-Library
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agospEDMData slicing for large-scale pattern causality, plus API breaks
- 6mo agospEDMspEDM 1.11
- 6mo agospEDMSpatially convergent partial cross mapping reaches the R API
- 8mo agospEDMRaster cross mapping with anisotropic embedding
- 9mo agoTLF-LibraryWatermark positioning decoupled from plot scales
- 11mo agoTLF-LibraryHot fixes for ggplot2 v4.0.0 breaking changes
- 11mo agoTLF-LibraryLLOQ annotation and axis cropping split from data filtering
- 11mo agospEDMConfigurable distance metrics and multithreaded distance computation
- 1y agospEDMSpatial logistic map exposed at the R level
- 1y agoTLF-LibraryDev build introducing LLOQ plots and the xAxisLimits rename
- 1y agoTLF-LibraryError-bar cap fixes atop a restated feature list
- 1y agoTLF-LibraryDual-axis plots stop tripping cowplot
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between spEDM and TLF-Library?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. spEDM and TLF-Library 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 spEDM better than TLF-Library?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. spEDM and TLF-Library 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 spEDM?
Top spEDM alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "spEDM alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/spedm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to TLF-Library?
Top TLF-Library alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "TLF-Library alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tlf-library for the full list with editorial commentary on each.