v.0.2.0

New features

• Better support for Inf in number_line objects.
• Can now use multiple case_lengths or recurrence_lengths for the same event.
  • Can now use multiple overlap_methods for the corresponding case_lengths and recurrence_lengths.
• New function links() to replace record_group().
• New function sub_criteria(). The new way of supplying a sub_criteria in links().
• New functions exact_match(), range_match() and range_match_legacy(). Predefined logical tests for use with sub_criteria(). User-defined tests can also be used. See ?sub_criteria.
• New function custom_sort() for nested sorting.
• New function epid_lengths() to show the required case_length or recurrence_length for an analyses. Useful in confirming the required case_length or recurrence_length for episode tracking.
• New function epid_windows(). Shows the period a date will overlap with given particular case_lengths or recurrence_lengths. Useful in confirming the required case_length or recurrence_length for episode tracking.
• New argument - strata in links(). Useful for stratified data linkage. As in stratified episode tracking, a record with a missing strata (NA_character_) is skipped from data linkage.
• New argument - data_links in links(). Unlink record groups that do not include records from certain data sources
• New convenience functions
  • listr(). Format atomic vectors as a written list.
  • combns(). An extension of combn to generate permutations not ordinarily captured by combn.
• New iteration slot for pid and epid objects
• New overlap_method - reverse()

Changes

• number_line() - l and r must have the same length or be 1.
• episodes() - case_nm differentiates between duplicates of "Case" ("Duplicate_C") and "Recurrent" events ("Duplicate_R").
• Strata and episode-level options for most arguments. This gives greater flexibility within the same instance of episodes().
  • Episode-level - The behaviour for each episode is determined by the corresponding option for its index event ("Case").
    • episode_type - simultaneously track both "fixed" and "rolling" episodes.
    • skip_if_b4_lengths - simultaneously track episodes where events before a cut-off range are both skipped and not skipped.
    • episode_unit - simultaneously track episodes by different units of time.
    • case_for_recurrence - simultaneously track "rolling" episodes with and without an additional case window for recurrent events.
    • recurrence_from_last - simultaneously track "rolling" episodes with reference windows calculated from the first and last event of the previous window.
  • Strata-level - The behaviour for each episode is determined by the corresponding option for its strata. Options must be the same in each strata.
    • from_last - simultaneously track episodes in both directions of time - past to present and present to past.
    • episodes_max - simultaneously track different number of episodes within the dataset.
• include_overlap_method - "overlap" and "none" will not be combined with other methods.
  • "overlap" - mutually inclusive with the other methods, so their inclusion is not necessary.
  • "none" - mutually exclusive and prioritised over the other methods (including "none"), so their inclusion is not necessary.
• Events can now have missing cut-off points (NA_real_) or periods (number_line(NA_real_, NA_real_)) case_length and recurrence_length. This ensures that the event does not become an index case however, it can still be part of different episode. For reference, an event with a missing strata (NA_character_) ensures that the event does not become an index case nor part of any episode.

Bug fixes

• fixed_episodes, rolling_episodes and episode_group - include_index_period didn't work in certain situations. Corrected.
• fixed_episodes, rolling_episodes and episode_group - dist_from_wind was wrong in certain situations. Corrected.