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logbin vs testdat

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

logbin vs testdat: at a glance

Featurelogbintestdat
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesrelative-risk, log-binomial, glm-compatibility, em-algorithmdata-validation, unit-testing, testthat, tidyselect
Last editorial update1h ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is logbin?

Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order

logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.

Read the full logbin trajectory →

What is testdat?

Unit testing for datasets, built on testthat and now bending to its next release.

testdat applies the testthat idiom to data rather than code: expectations that assert properties of a data frame, run as a suite, with results exportable to Excel. Recent releases have been about correctness and upstream compatibility. Expectations are now constructed via new_expectation() ahead of testthat 3.3.0, and expect_base() errors on a missing variable instead of silently passing.

Read the full testdat trajectory →

logbin vs testdat: editorial side-by-side

L
logbin
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order

◆ Current state

logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.

◆ Where it's heading

The method work concluded in 2021 and the package has since been aligned with base R conventions rather than extended: the vcov calculation now mirrors glm's, and earlier releases added the contrasts, qr, R and effects components so standard glm S3 methods such as influence() and plot() work on logbin objects. Be warned that the feed's tag order is unusable — versions 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 and 2.0.4 were all pushed within ninety seconds on 23 July 2021 in non-monotonic order, while 2.0.3 carries a 2017 timestamp and restates 2.0.2's notes. Read the bodies, not the sequence.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued alignment with glm conventions and occasional CRAN maintenance; the algorithm set has been stable for four years and nothing in these entries suggests another is planned.

T
testdat
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Unit testing for datasets, built on testthat and now bending to its next release.

◆ Current state

testdat applies the testthat idiom to data rather than code: expectations that assert properties of a data frame, run as a suite, with results exportable to Excel. Recent releases have been about correctness and upstream compatibility. Expectations are now constructed via new_expectation() ahead of testthat 3.3.0, and expect_base() errors on a missing variable instead of silently passing.

◆ Where it's heading

The package reached its shape early and has spent the years since sanding it. The design decisions worth noting are all in the past: the move to tidyselect at 0.3.0, the test data pipe at 0.4.0, and the failure messages at 0.4.1 that name which variable failed rather than just reporting a count. Since then activity is sparse and reactive, tracking testthat and R-devel. The two 0.4.3 and 0.4.4 tags arriving ninety minutes apart on the same day is the signature of a release caught by an upstream deadline.

◆ Prediction

The immediate work is finishing the testthat 3.3.0 adaptation. Beyond that the notes give no evidence of new expectation families; the package looks maintained rather than developed.

Alternatives to logbin and testdat

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 logbin or testdat.

See all logbin alternatives → · See all testdat alternatives →

Recent activity from logbin and testdat

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

  1. 9mo agotestdatExpectations rebuilt on new_expectation() for testthat 3.3.0
  2. 9mo agotestdatexpect_base() errors on a missing variable instead of passing
  3. 1y agologbinvcov in summary.logbin now matches summary.glm
  4. 2y agotestdatGrouped data frames ungrouped before testing
  5. 3y agotestdatFailure messages name the failing variable; expect_depends() added
  6. 4y agotestdatTest data pipe lets expectations sit inline in a chain
  7. 4y agotestdatCRAN release moves variable selection to tidyselect
  8. 5y agologbinFactor reparameterisation fix and faster parameter expansion
  9. 5y agologbinVersion bump to satisfy a CRAN check
  10. 5y agologbinmethod and accelerate options: adaptive barrier, CEM, EM, turboEM
  11. 5y agologbinglm S3 method support via contrasts, qr, R and effects components
  12. 5y agologbinJournal of Statistical Software citation added

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between logbin and testdat?

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

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. logbin and testdat 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 logbin?

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

What are the best alternatives to testdat?

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