Towards an integrated {verse}: lessons learned developing a library of validated packages

Developing R packages as a unified {verse} – a set of packages that work well together but with each focusing on individual tasks – is an efficient strategy to structure support for complex workflows.

rstudio::global 2021 package dev

Towards an integrated {verse}: lessons learned developing a library of validated packages

January 21, 2021

Developing R packages as a unified {verse} – a set of packages that work well together but with each focusing on individual tasks – is an efficient strategy to structure support for complex workflows. The ongoing challenge becomes managing the growth of related packages in a holistic manner. This is especially problematic in industries with a heavy emphasis on stability, for example if packages need to be validated prior to use in production. In this talk, I will discuss a paradigm for developing and maintaining validated R packages, emphasizing the following areas:

  1. strategies for organizing packages to prevent excessive re-work
  2. facilitating responsive, iterative development and
  3. empathy for developer and user experiences.

Additional Videos

Marie Vendettuoli, Jeroen Ooms, and Alex Cookson Q&A

About the speaker

Marie Vendettuoli
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Marie Vendettuoli is a Senior Statistical Programmer at Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention (SCHARP - https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/vaccine-infectious-disease-division/research/biostatistics-bioinformatics-and-epidemiology/statistical-center-for-hiv-aids-research-and-prevention.html) @ FredHutch. She holds a PhD from Iowa State University in Human Computer Interaction and started developing R packages for use within regulatory frameworks while working as a Data Scientist at USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/veterinary-biologics/sa_about_vb/ct_vb_about ). Before discovering R, Marie worked in a CBER (https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-organization/center-biologics-evaluation-and-research-cber )-regulated laboratory. Her main interest is developing analytical infrastructure to facilitate scientific analysis for fellow data scientists working in a regulatory environment.