tidytlg
A tables-listings-graphs package that reached CRAN and then went quiet.
Comparison · Analytics
tern vs tinkr
A side-by-side editorial comparison of tern and tinkr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
tern vs tinkr: at a glance
What is tern?
tern is migrating its entire analysis-function catalogue off make_afun(), one release at a time.
tern builds the clinical-trial tables, listings, and graphs layer on top of rtables — occurrence counts, survival summaries, ANCOVA, incidence rates, subgroup and biomarker tabulations. The visible work across the window is a systematic refactor: dozens of analysis functions rewritten to drop make_afun() and adopt a common analysis-function style driven by rtables' additional_fun_params. Feature additions ride along with it.
What is tinkr?
Markdown round-tripping through XML, where every release is another thing it learned not to mangle.
tinkr parses Markdown into XML, lets callers manipulate it with XPath, and writes it back out — the yarn R6 class is the whole interface. Its development is defined by a single hard problem: surviving the round trip without corrupting syntax the XML representation does not natively model. Maintenance is shared between two active contributors and release cadence is roughly annual.
tern vs tinkr: editorial side-by-side
tern
0.0ANALYTICS
tern is migrating its entire analysis-function catalogue off make_afun(), one release at a time.
◆ Current state
tern builds the clinical-trial tables, listings, and graphs layer on top of rtables — occurrence counts, survival summaries, ANCOVA, incidence rates, subgroup and biomarker tabulations. The visible work across the window is a systematic refactor: dozens of analysis functions rewritten to drop make_afun() and adopt a common analysis-function style driven by rtables' additional_fun_params. Feature additions ride along with it.
◆ Where it's heading
This is a multi-release architectural migration, not incremental polish. Each release converts another batch of functions, and the count is large — roughly two dozen in the most recent entry alone, after a comparable batch the release before. Alongside it, the denom parameter is being threaded through counting functions and g_lineplot is accumulating layout control, both patterns of standardising arguments that previously varied per function.
◆ Prediction
The refactor should continue until the make_afun() dependency is gone entirely, with the remaining tabulate_* and biomarker functions the likely next batch; the entries give no date for completion.
tinkr
0.0ANALYTICS
Markdown round-tripping through XML, where every release is another thing it learned not to mangle.
◆ Current state
tinkr parses Markdown into XML, lets callers manipulate it with XPath, and writes it back out — the yarn R6 class is the whole interface. Its development is defined by a single hard problem: surviving the round trip without corrupting syntax the XML representation does not natively model. Maintenance is shared between two active contributors and release cadence is roughly annual.
◆ Where it's heading
Each release extends the set of constructs that get protected across the round trip — curly braces, escaped brackets, inline math, dollar signs used as currency, French-style dollars, fenced divs, frontmatter. The 0.3.0 notes also add get_protected(), append_md(), and prepend_md(), which is the first sign of building a manipulation API on top of the protection machinery rather than only widening it.
◆ Prediction
Expect the protection list to keep growing toward full Quarto syntax coverage, which the first release named as the long-term goal and which fenced divs and frontmatter both move toward.
Alternatives to tern and tinkr
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 or tinkr.
Tplyr
Tplyr made clinical summary tables explain where every number came from.
rlistings
Clinical listings that keep inheriting their hardest problem — pagination — from the layer below.
hoardr
A cache-directory helper that has shipped nothing but CRAN-triggered patches for seven years.
gigs
gigs redesigned its whole conversion API for rOpenSci, then spent three releases getting the docs to build.
riem
A weather-data client that keeps rewriting its HTTP layer while slowly tightening its API.
Recent activity from tern and tinkr
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1y agotinkrFrontmatter, fenced divs, and content-insertion methods
- 1y agoternTwo dozen more analysis functions drop make_afun() ⚡
- 1y agoterndenom threading, custom statistics, and compare_vars merged in
- 1y agoternRisk-difference columns for subgroup tables
- 2y agoterng_lineplot gains faceting and axis controls
- 3y agotinkrProtects curly braces, escaped brackets, and link anchors
- 3y agotinkrFirst release: the extensible yarn R6 class ⚡
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tern and tinkr?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. tern and tinkr 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 better than tinkr?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. tern and tinkr 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?
Top tern alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tern alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tern for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to tinkr?
Top tinkr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tinkr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tinkr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.