I just released a new version of the #RStats package {charlatan} version 0.6.1. https://cran.r-project.org/package=charlatan

You can use charlatan to create realistic fake data. You can create fake data for in class room exercises, as test material before you have real users, or as a talking example when you talk to stakeholders about data modeling.

I have worked on the package over the last years but I did not push a new version to CRAN. So what is new, and why the minor bump (from 0.5.1)?

I use targets package heavily every day, but the following article gave me new insights.
https://carpentries-incubator.github.io/targets-workshop/index.html

tarchetypes package is very useful!
#rstats

I wrote some notes about targets #rstats

https://blog.djnavarro.net/posts/2025-01-08_using-targets/

Some people have very short memories.

When nothing happens, the culprit conveniently forgets.

When something happens, the culprit starts a witch hunt.

🤷🏻‍♂️

So {targets} is a great package, but sometimes it creates friction when working interactively. So today, I made a little helper function to load a selection of targets. It allows me to bind this to a shortcut key in VSCode that will load all the highlighted targets.

So far, it is going very well for when I am debugging a function and need to load a bunch of targets into memory. #rStats #workflow

And all that positivity is gone within 2 days.

At this rate, I'm going to become an extremely cynical person.

Is this a sign of depression?

I recently have a strangely good feeling that things are somehow falling into place nicely.

It's strange as I haven't felt like this in a really, really long time.

I hope that I don't jinx it by putting it out here 🤞🏼

Parquet has steadily won over much of #RStats world as a CSV replacement but the real barrier to adoption is that you can't open parquet files in Excel

I think it’s time for some #RStats package love. Share a package that makes your life/work easier when you use it, or that sparks joy at how beautifully it addresses a problem you need to solve. For me it is the {targets} :targets: package and associated friends. I don’t have to worry if something has run or not because targets takes care of it. #PackageLove @lwpembleton

@danwwilson @lwpembleton

#rdatatable
{data.table}

Was quite scared of it, didn't want to learn it really, but it kept cropping up as a solution.
Took the plunge, realised that it was not as hard as it seemed, and now, yeah, I think I love it.
It helped me massively with {runcharter}, and could not have done {patientcounter}without it..(fun fact, the person who inspired me to write that package has never used it. Luckily, plenty other NHS analysts have found it useful)

Disappointed with the slew of policies aimed to increase total fertility rate in my country.

There's seriously no point giving more paternity/maternity leaves when companies are going to penalize usage.

Work-life balance is one of the biggest factor and yet nothing is seriously done about it.

I know who to vote for when the general elections come.

📦 [A package a day - Database 6]

Today's Database package is arkdb

Archive and Unarchive Databases Using Flat Files
🙏 Maintained by @cboettig
📝 https://docs.ropensci.org/arkdb/

Check out this article: Working with medium-sized data
🗃️ https://docs.ropensci.org/arkdb/articles/noapi.html

#PeerReviewed

#APackageADay
#OSS
#RStats
@rstats

#rstats #rdatatable is very close to a new CRAN release in case you wanted to kick the tires 👀

Was life purposely made hard to weed out those who can't find meaning and/or are weak?

What rule in the tidyverse style guide (https://style.tidyverse.org/) do you disobey the most?

Me? I always want to do the long function formals as follows:

```r
long_function_name <- function(
a = "a long argument",
b = "another argument",
...
) {
# body code
}
```

Putting the `) {` on its own line with plenty of whitespace visually separates formals from body, which I like better than indent-level separation.

#rstats

Both #academic #publishing and the #CVE system present a good example of Goodhart's law in action.

(Scientific/infosec) employers want to pretend to apply objective standards in hiring and compensation. Unfortunately, since the management lacks the ability to judge the real quality of (scientific/infosec) work, they have to use a proxy, namely, the number of published (peer-reviewed articles/CVEs). This sets up a financial incentive to get out as many (articles/CVEs) as possible that are barely good enough, filling the system with crap for the rest of us to filter through.

Being new parents to a 9.5 month old infant, we agree with every thing as we experienced the same issues at some point of our journey.

Our current take is "one is way more than enough" so it takes a whole lot more than just more monetary incentives even consider having 1 more.

#singapore

https://tsl.to/morebabies

Periodic reminder: The only way to write good code is to write tons of shitty code first. Feeling shame about bad code stops you from getting to good code.

"Singapore made for families" had better be an amazing programme.

With only just 1 kid, we are barely surviving as our mental and physical health taking a huge beating trying to balance work and family commitments.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/pm-lee-urges-singaporeans-to-have-more-children-and-to-do-so-earlier?utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram&utm_campaign=sttg

Big news for you data table fans: Our blog is now live! 🥳

https://rdatatable-community.github.io/The-Raft/

Check it out for an overview of the recent NSF funding, as well as a paid opportunity for translations of error messages and documentation!

#rstats #rdatatable