Split insight

[mattansb]

Currently insight has two types of functions:

1. insight functions - for extracting information from R models.
2. easystats infrastructure functions - printing, formatting, etc.

In the long run, I think it would make sense to split that last part off into a separate function or have it moved to datawizard?

@easystats/maintainers Your thoughts?

[IndrajeetPatil]

Good idea.

I'd personally prefer if we make a new package that contains all printing and formatting relevant functionality.

[strengejacke]

While I in general agree with you, and in particular since we want packages to have a very specific focus, my fear is that we introduce a lot of "self-dependencies". That is, while we don't need to import other packages and can follow a zero-dependency policy, we import dozens of our packages.

[strengejacke]

I do think data formatting stuff should just be in datawizard

What other formatting stuff do we have?

[strengejacke]

I think most critical will be format_alert(), format_message(), format_warning() and format_error(). We could move all other format_*() functions without needing to import them in insight nor reexporting and it won't break any external package, I guess.

That would mean we would have two lowest-level packages. If we want to move the format-messages as well, this would break a lot (unless we re-export).

So we just could move all formatters (except messages) to datawizard, and nothing will change for other developers, unless there are some recent changes / packages I'm not aware of. However, we also have the print/display-generics, and format_table() and export_table(). ❓

[bwiernik]

I don't see that much benefit from splitting off the formatting functions. The only real upside I think would be if some developer wanted the formatting functions but not the other insight features.

The formatting functions have r been in insight for a long time, and they do make some thematic sense to me (insight is utility functions for pulling stuff out of models and manipulating them).

I think I agree with @vincentarelbundock here

[DominiqueMakowski]

I also think we should leave it as-is.

If we had to re-start easystats today, we would have done things differently, but what is important now is that it's stable, it's okay if things are not perfectly aligned within the perfect easystats conceptual entity.

(also, 10 packages is a nice number👌)

[bwiernik]

also, 10 packages is a nice number👌

We'd need at least 4 new packages to keep the sticker wall looking pretty