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Comparison · Infra & APIs

tealeaves vs volcalc

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

tealeaves vs volcalc: at a glance

Featuretealeavesvolcalc
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesplant-physiology, energy-balance, leaf-temperature, unitscheminformatics, volatility, simpol, smiles
Last editorial update1h ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is tealeaves?

A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished

tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.

Read the full tealeaves trajectory →

What is volcalc?

Rebuilt itself around SMILES and .mol input, then made the chemistry configurable

volcalc estimates the volatility of chemical compounds from their structure, implementing the SIMPOL.1 group-contribution method and the Meredith et al. variant. Version 2.0.0 severed the package from KEGG: calc_vol() takes .mol file paths or SMILES strings directly, is vectorized over multiple compounds, and the group-contribution maths was split into its own simpol1() function. Work since has been chemistry accuracy and configurability — the full set of SIMPOL.1 functional groups, volatility thresholds for clean atmosphere, polluted atmosphere or soil, user-supplied temperature, and a validate option returning NA when structure parsing looks suspect.

Read the full volcalc trajectory →

tealeaves vs volcalc: editorial side-by-side

T
tealeaves
INFRA · APIS
0.0

A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished

◆ Current state

tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.

◆ Where it's heading

This is finished scientific software. The arc runs from a 1.0.0 that already described the full model, through a usability decision in 1.0.1 to accept unitless values and assign units rather than demand them, to a 2020 cluster of compatibility and correctness work around publication. Nothing since has touched the model, and the 2022 release is pure paperwork. Its most instructive entry remains 1.0.5, where a new feature silently produced incorrect parameter crossing and the fix arrived with tests to pin the behaviour.

◆ Prediction

Expect nothing unless a dependency or CRAN check forces a release; on this record any such release will be documentation and packaging rather than a change to the energy balance.

V
volcalc
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Rebuilt itself around SMILES and .mol input, then made the chemistry configurable

◆ Current state

volcalc estimates the volatility of chemical compounds from their structure, implementing the SIMPOL.1 group-contribution method and the Meredith et al. variant. Version 2.0.0 severed the package from KEGG: calc_vol() takes .mol file paths or SMILES strings directly, is vectorized over multiple compounds, and the group-contribution maths was split into its own simpol1() function. Work since has been chemistry accuracy and configurability — the full set of SIMPOL.1 functional groups, volatility thresholds for clean atmosphere, polluted atmosphere or soil, user-supplied temperature, and a validate option returning NA when structure parsing looks suspect.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc runs from a script tied to one database toward a general structure-to-volatility tool. Dropping KEGG from the core in 2.0.0, then removing KEGGREST as a dependency entirely in 2.2.0, took the package from volatility for KEGG compounds to volatility for any structure a user can supply. The accompanying manuscript published in 2023, and the changelog since has been careful about coefficient double-counting — amines and amides have each been corrected — which suggests the group definitions are the part under active scrutiny.

◆ Prediction

The smarts_simpol1 dataset added in 2.2.0 documents how functional groups are defined, pointing toward further estimation methods alongside SIMPOL.1 and Meredith; splitting simpol1() out in 2.0.0 was stated to be groundwork for exactly that.

Alternatives to tealeaves and volcalc

Other Infra & APIs 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 tealeaves or volcalc.

See all tealeaves alternatives → · See all volcalc alternatives →

Recent activity from tealeaves and volcalc

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

  1. 1y agovolcalcParsing validation, user-supplied temperature, KEGGREST dropped
  2. 2y agovolcalcAuthorship and citation updates
  3. 2y agovolcalcSMILES input, environment-specific thresholds, missing functional groups
  4. 2y agovolcalcRebuilt around .mol and SMILES input; SIMPOL.1 split into simpol1()
  5. 3y agovolcalcAmines group removed to stop double-counting with primary amines
  6. 3y agovolcalcbug fix: standard temperature
  7. 4y agotealeavesCitation file, vignette and README fixes
  8. 6y agotealeavesParameter-crossing bug fixed with tests; coverage added
  9. 6y agotealeavesFix for custom sky temperature function being overwritten
  10. 6y agotealeavesSky temperature as value or function; dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility
  11. 7y agotealeavesUnitless parameter values now accepted and assigned units
  12. 7y agotealeavesFirst release: leaf energy balance with per-surface conductances

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tealeaves and volcalc?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. tealeaves and volcalc 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 tealeaves better than volcalc?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. tealeaves and volcalc 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 Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to tealeaves?

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

What are the best alternatives to volcalc?

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