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ijtiff

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Velocity0.0

An R Package for general purpose TIFF file I/O which plays nice with ImageJ

github.com/ropensci/ijtiff ↗

A TIFF reader for scientific imaging that spent its recent releases shedding weight and fixing memory bugs.

imagingtiffr-packagememory-safetyscientific-computing
◆Current state
ijtiff reads and writes TIFF files the way ImageJ writes them, which ordinary R TIFF readers get wrong — multi-channel, multi-frame, and unusual bit depths. The 3.1.x line is dominated by memory correctness in the C tag-handling layer, alongside dropping the large imager dependency from the display path. Cadence is sporadic, with multi-year gaps.
◆Where it's heading
Two threads run through the window. The C layer is being hardened — memory leaks in tag handling, buffer cleanup, PROTECT errors, validation of malformed files — which is the kind of work that surfaces when a package gets run against real-world files at volume. Separately, the R layer is shedding dependencies, with base graphics replacing imager for display. Both make the package cheaper and safer to depend on rather than more capable.
◆Prediction
Expect continued C-level correctness work rather than format features, since three of the last three substantive releases were memory or compiler fixes.

◆Recent moves

  1. 1y ago

    PROTECT-error and documentation fixes across 3.1.1-3.1.3

    Three patch releases rolled into one note, all C-level PROTECT corrections and a doc fix. Continues the memory-correctness thread without changing what the package reads.

    View source ↗
  2. 1y ago

    Drops the imager dependency; fixes tag-handling memory leaks

    The most consequential release in the window on both threads at once — display() moves to base graphics so a large dependency disappears, and the tag code stops leaking on malformed files. Installation gets lighter and long-running sessions get safer.

    View source ↗
  3. 3y ago

    Moves to rlang::abort() and away from magrittr

    Error-message plumbing and a dependency style change. Users see slightly different error formatting and nothing else.

    View source ↗
  4. 3y ago

    Fixes NEWS.md headings

    A documentation formatting fix released on its own. No code change.

    View source ↗
  5. 5y ago

    Compatibility with libtiff using C99 stdint.h

    An upstream libtiff change forced a build fix. Typical of the toolchain-driven releases that make up most of this package's history.

    View source ↗
  6. 5y ago

    Quiets pkg-config warnings; drops LazyData

    Configure-time noise reduction and a CRAN note fix. Build hygiene only.

    View source ↗