tern.rbmi
Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.
Comparison · Analytics
stringi vs tern.mmrm
A side-by-side editorial comparison of stringi and tern.mmrm — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:maintenance
stringi vs tern.mmrm: at a glance
What is stringi?
stringi has spent two years on build hardening since its Unicode 15.1 reset.
stringi is the ICU-backed string engine under a large share of R's text handling. Since the 1.8.1 reset in late 2023 — which bundled ICU 74.1, dropped Solaris, and raised the compiler floor — every subsequent release has been build and portability maintenance: PROTECT-stack fixes, Windows build errors, compiler warnings. The 1.8.8 release in July 2026 continues that pattern by dropping the configure script's C++11 fallback.
What is tern.mmrm?
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
tern.mmrm wraps mixed models for repeated measures into the tern tabulation and plotting layer used by teal clinical modules. The visible history ends with three CRAN releases in mid-to-late 2024; before that the feed carries only automated version bumps from 2022, three of which have just been backfilled into the record. The most recent substantive change adds axis limit arguments to the LS-means plot.
stringi vs tern.mmrm: editorial side-by-side
stringi
2.5ANALYTICS
stringi has spent two years on build hardening since its Unicode 15.1 reset.
◆ Current state
stringi is the ICU-backed string engine under a large share of R's text handling. Since the 1.8.1 reset in late 2023 — which bundled ICU 74.1, dropped Solaris, and raised the compiler floor — every subsequent release has been build and portability maintenance: PROTECT-stack fixes, Windows build errors, compiler warnings. The 1.8.8 release in July 2026 continues that pattern by dropping the configure script's C++11 fallback.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has reached feature stability and is maintained as infrastructure. Releases arrive when a toolchain, platform, or check regime changes, not when users ask for capability. The two-and-a-half year gap between 1.8.1's Unicode bump and anything comparable suggests the next directional move will again be an ICU bundle refresh rather than new API surface.
◆ Prediction
The next release is most likely another build-time fix or an ICU bundle update to a newer Unicode version; the entries show no in-progress feature work.
tern.mmrm
0.0ANALYTICS
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
◆ Current state
tern.mmrm wraps mixed models for repeated measures into the tern tabulation and plotting layer used by teal clinical modules. The visible history ends with three CRAN releases in mid-to-late 2024; before that the feed carries only automated version bumps from 2022, three of which have just been backfilled into the record. The most recent substantive change adds axis limit arguments to the LS-means plot.
◆ Where it's heading
Content per release is thin and largely organisational: a maintainer change, replacing scda with random.cdisc.data in vignettes, and adapting to new {mmrm} versions. The package appears to be in maintenance, tracking its upstream dependency rather than developing independently. The 2022 entries now visible are release-automation commits, not releases in any meaningful sense.
◆ Prediction
Nothing here signals new functionality; the realistic next event is another compatibility release when {mmrm} or {rtables} changes underneath it.
Alternatives to stringi and tern.mmrm
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 stringi or tern.mmrm.
ggmagnify
A single-purpose ggplot2 inset tool, refining the same three arguments.
symengine
An R symbolic-maths binding whose changelog is really the C++ core's release notes.
gtfstools
gtfstools stopped guarding its own object model and started accepting everyone else's.
quantities
The glue package that makes R carry units and uncertainty through the same calculation.
dietr
A fish diet package whose release history is really a record of surviving rfishbase.
See all stringi alternatives → · See all tern.mmrm alternatives →
Recent activity from stringi and tern.mmrm
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 18d agostringiConfigure script drops the C++11 fallback
- 1y agostringiPROTECT stack imbalance fixed in stri_encode_from_marked
- 1y agotern.mmrmAxis limits added to the LS-means plot
- 2y agotern.mmrmMaintainer change and scda replaced in vignettes
- 2y agotern.mmrmCRAN 0.3.0 release, mostly workflow housekeeping
- 2y agostringiWindows build errors fixed
- 2y agostringiFormat-string warnings cleared
- 2y agostringi32-bit Windows and Loongarch builds restored
- 2y agostringiICU 74.1 bundle lands; Solaris support dropped ⚡
- 3y agotern.mmrmAutomated version bump to 0.2.1
- 3y agotern.mmrmPre-release branch merge
- 4y agotern.mmrmCI automation commit, no release content
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between stringi and tern.mmrm?
Both compete on the same themes — maintenance — within Analytics. stringi 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 stringi better than tern.mmrm?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. stringi 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 stringi?
Top stringi alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "stringi alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/stringi-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to tern.mmrm?
Top tern.mmrm alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tern.mmrm alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tern-mmrm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.