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tern.mmrm vs tmap

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

tern.mmrm vs tmap: at a glance

Featuretern.mmrmtmap
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themespharmaverse, mmrm, tabulation, maintenancethematic-mapping, spatial-data, ggplot-alternative, extensibility
Last editorial update1h ago8h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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.

Read the full tern.mmrm trajectory →

What is tmap?

Two years after a from-scratch rewrite, tmap is filling in the layers v4 promised.

tmap draws thematic maps in R across static and interactive modes. The 4.0 rewrite replaced the layer syntax with explicit visual variables, scales, legends and charts, and opened the package to extensions; the 4.x line since has been steady capability fill-in. The 4.4 release adds tm_circles with fixed unit-based radii, a blend argument on every layer, and hitboxes so small objects stay clickable in view mode.

Read the full tmap trajectory →

tern.mmrm vs tmap: editorial side-by-side

T
tern.mmrm
ANALYTICS
0.0

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.

T
tmap
ANALYTICS
0.0

Two years after a from-scratch rewrite, tmap is filling in the layers v4 promised.

◆ Current state

tmap draws thematic maps in R across static and interactive modes. The 4.0 rewrite replaced the layer syntax with explicit visual variables, scales, legends and charts, and opened the package to extensions; the 4.x line since has been steady capability fill-in. The 4.4 release adds tm_circles with fixed unit-based radii, a blend argument on every layer, and hitboxes so small objects stay clickable in view mode.

◆ Where it's heading

The extension mechanism introduced in 4.0 is where the interesting work is migrating: PMTiles support arrived through a separate experimental tmap.sources package, mode cycling became configurable via tmap_mode_pool() so packages like tmap.mapgl can register themselves, and shiny dispatch methods were added specifically to let other modes integrate. The core package is increasingly a rendering contract that satellite packages plug into.

◆ Prediction

Expect more rendering backends to land as sibling packages rather than in tmap itself, with the core continuing to absorb the dispatch and mode-management plumbing they need.

Alternatives to tern.mmrm and tmap

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 tern.mmrm or tmap.

See all tern.mmrm alternatives → · See all tmap alternatives →

Recent activity from tern.mmrm and tmap

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

  1. 1mo agotmapDocumentation-only patch tidying man-page titles
  2. 1mo agotmaptm_circles, layer blending and clickable small objects
  3. 1y agotmaptmap v4 rewritten from scratch with a new layer syntax
  4. 1y agotern.mmrmAxis limits added to the LS-means plot
  5. 1y agotmapFinal 3.x release before the v4 rewrite
  6. 2y agotern.mmrmMaintainer change and scda replaced in vignettes
  7. 2y agotern.mmrmCRAN 0.3.0 release, mostly workflow housekeeping
  8. 3y agotern.mmrmAutomated version bump to 0.2.1
  9. 3y agotern.mmrmPre-release branch merge
  10. 4y agotern.mmrmCI automation commit, no release content

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tern.mmrm and tmap?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. tern.mmrm and tmap 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 tern.mmrm better than tmap?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. tern.mmrm and tmap 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 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.

What are the best alternatives to tmap?

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