News

# News

## febr 1.9.9

* __Bug fix.__ There were R code comments using non-ASCII characters. This was causing a warning in
  Debian Linux, R-devel, clang, ISO-8859-15 locale. Those comments were removed in this patch.

## febr 1.9.8

* __Improvement.__ Package description is clearer and follows CRAN policies.

## febr 1.9.7

* __Bug fix.__ Data downloaded using `identification()`, `layer()`, `metadata()`, and
  `observation()` were supposed to be named after the respective data id used in the repository.
  However, the object passed to `names()` was incorrect. This is corrected in the present patch.

## febr 1.9.6

* __Bug fix.__ Data downloaded using `readFEBR()` were supposed to be named after the respective
  data id used in the repository. However, the object passed to `names()` was incorrect. This is
  corrected in the present patch.

## febr 1.9.5

* __Improvement.__ The data dictionary of the FEBR repository is updated periodically and some
  fields are inactivated. The function `dictionary()` has a new argument to enable the user to
  select whether active (`active = TRUE`), inactive (`active = FALSE`) or any (`active = NULL`,
  default) field should be returned.

## febr 1.9.4

* __Improvement.__ The data dictionary of the FEBR repository is updated periodically. Some data
  field names are hard-coded in the **febr** package. This minor version accounts for some of these
  changes, specifically:
  * `coord_datum` -> `coord_datum_epsg`

## febr 1.9.3

* __Improvement.__ The data dictionary of the FEBR repository is updated periodically. Data field
  names need to be updated upon data download. Until recently, only the names of mandatory data
  fields were updated. Now, the name of any data field is updated.

## febr 1.9.2

* __Improvement.__ The data dictionary of the FEBR repository is updated periodically. Recently,
  the term _evento_ (event) was adopted as a replacement for _observacao_ (observation). Some data
  field names are hard-coded in the **febr** package. This minor version accounts for some of these
  changes, specifically:
  * `observacao_id` -> `evento_id_febr`
  * `observacao_data` -> `evento_data`

## febr 1.9.1

* __Improvement.__ Minor documentation changes, making it more accurate. The repository is now
  called _Data Repository of the Brazilian Soil_.

## febr 1.9.0

* __Improvement 1.__ New function `readVocabulary()`. This function reads the table
  containing the controlled vocabulary used in the FEBR Soil Data Repository. The controlled
  vocabulary is used in FEBR to standardize the values of categorical soil variables.
* __Improvement 2.__ Expands the documentation of function `readIndex()`.
* __Improvement 3.__ Adds new author (Taciara Zborowski Horst) and contributor (Glauber José Vaz).
  Modifies the package description, making it more accurate: the repository is now called 'FEBR Soil
  Data Repository'.

## febr 1.8.1

* __Improvement 1.__ Documentation on how to install the development version from GitHub was
  expanded. This was necessary because some users of Windows machines were having trouble dealing
  the installation of _Rtools_.
* __Improvement 2.__ The GitHub repository was transferred to _Laboratório de Pedometria_. The
  URL, however, had not been updated in `goto()`, thus taking the user to the old GitHub repository.
  The repository URL was updated accordingly.
* __Bug fix.__ Both `layer()` and `observation()` had examples for how to read the data files from
  a local directory. This is not an option for most users and was creating confusion. Examples
  were removed from both functions.

## febr 1.8.0

* __Improvement 1.__ Mandatory fields for data tables are not hard coded in the package anymore.
  Instead, now they are read directly from the online repository dictionary. This enables any update
  in the dictionary to have an imediate effect for users. Before this minor release, changes in the
  dictionary required the package to be updated, generally resulting in some unwanted delay.
  * In the dictionary, mandatory fields are now indicated using a new field called `campo_vital`.
* __Improvement 2.__ The online repository dictionary is reviewed and expanded periodically. Some
  changes include the modification of field names. These modifications can affect the functioning of
  functions such as `observation()` or `layer()`. To avoid these negative impacts, now these
  functions contain code to update field names before executing any data processing step e.g.
  standardization and harmonization.
  * In the dictionary, old field IDs are now recorded using a new field called `campo_oldid`.
* __Improvement 3.__ The package documentation has been updated accordingly.

## febr 1.7.5

* __Bug fix.__ Corrects data table stacking when embargoed datasets are present. The previous
  version ignored that embargoed datasets return a string when called using `observation()` or
  `layer()`. The presence of strings broke the data table stacking procedure.

## febr 1.7.4

* __Bug fix.__ Corrects the evaluation of `stack = TRUE` when all datasets `data.set = "all"` are
  read using `observation()` and `layer()`. The previous version ignored that `data.set = "all"`
  returns a vector with hundreds of datasets, and thus `stack` was automatically set to
  `stack = FALSE`.

## febr 1.7.3

* Bug fix. Corrects the construction of file paths when all datasets `data.set = "all"` are read
  using `readFEBR()`. The previous version constructed the file paths using the string passed to
    `data.set` in the function call i.e. `"all"` instead of the vector of dataset IDs.

## febr 1.7.2

* Shortens examples to avoid CRAN notifications.

## febr 1.7.1

* Code and documentation clean up.
* Packages __dplyr__ and __glue__ are not dependencies anymore.

## febr 1.7.0

* Code and documentation clean up.
* Defuncts obsolete function: `dataset`, `febr`, `febr2spdf`, `febr2xlsx`, `standard`, `header`.

## febr 1.6.4

* Start using the __data.table__ package for faster data processing.
* Code and documentation cleanup.
* New utility function `readIndex()` for reading the TXT file listing all data sets published in
  the FEBR.

## febr 1.6.3

* `morphology`: deals with depth data between parenthesis when retrieving soil color data.

## febr 1.6.2

* `morphology`: deal with varying number of soil color records (1 or 2)
* Documentation updates.

## febr 1.6.1

* `morphology`: retrieve soil color data when accents are missing ("umido" or "umida")

## febr 1.6.0

* `febr2sse`: updates nomenclature (SmartSolos Expert and sse); process soil consistency data
* `morphology`: retrieve soil consistency data

## febr 1.5.7

* Patch: guarantee that `rmarkdown` is up to date to build vignettes.

## febr 1.5.6

* Cleans code and documentation.

## febr 1.5.5

* Sets a new file to store the ID of the datasets downloaded using the core function `readFEBR()`.

## febr 1.5.4

* New function `dictionary()`
  * Renames `standard()`
  * Argument `table` has two new valid values: `metadado` and `versionamento`.

## febr 1.5.3

* Code formatting and clean up.
* Improvements on how unitless variables are dealt with.

## febr 1.5.2

* Code formatting and clean up.
* Improves documentation.
* Adds NA option (#N/A).
* Corrects bug in unit conversion.

## febr 1.5.1

* Improves documentation.

## febr 1.5.0

* New function:
  * `taxonomy()`. Extract and process soil taxonomic data from textual soil classification description. A vignette accompanies the new function.
* Bug fix:
  * `observation()`. Corrects an issue in argument checking.
  * Fixes invalid URLs.

## febr 1.4.0

* New function `morphology` to extract and process soil morphological properties from field soil morphology descriptions.
* Adds data conversion routines in `febr2smartsolos` for the following soil variables: taxonomic
  classification, soil matrix color (wet and dry), soil structure.

## febr 1.3.2

* Improves translation of variable names when converting soil profile data between FEBR and SMARTSolos.

## febr 1.3.1

* Deals with suggested packages.

## febr 1.3.0

* New functions `febr2smartsolos()` and `smartsolos2febr()` for soil profile data conversion between FEBR and
  SMARTSolos.

## febr 1.2.4

* Improves documentation for new release.

## febr 1.2.3

* Improves documentation for new release.

## febr 1.2.2

* `readFEBR()`: improves output object.

## febr 1.2.1

* Improves package documentation.
* `readFEBR()`: new general purpose function to download raw data.

## febr 1.1.2

* Bug fix: correct file format i.e. TXT instead of CSV.

## febr 1.1.1

* Improvements:
  + Includes changes to download data from new webserver
  + New function argument `febr.repo` allows user to set where the data should be read from: the remote
    web server or a local directory
* Other changes:
  + `header()` is now deprecated due to the new file structure used in __FEBR__. Users can now rely on the 
    already existing `metadata()` to get the same results
  + `febr2spdf()` is now defunct.

## febr 1.1.0

* Improvements:
  + Packages __googlesheets__, __googlesheets4__ and __readr__ are not dependencies anymore;
  + A new function `febr2sf` is available as a replacement for `febr2sp` -- __sp__ is not dependencies anymore;
  + `febr2xlsx` is now deprecated -- __xlsx__ is not dependencies anymore;
* Bug fix:
  + `layer`: standard variables are only set to type character when `stack = TRUE`.

## febr 1.0.3.9004

* Getting rid of __googlesheets4__.

## febr 1.0.3.9003

* Using `Sys.sleep(time = 10)` to pass checks in functions examples. This is necessary because the new Google
  Sheets API has a limit of 500 requests per 100 seconds per project, and 100 requests per 100 seconds per
  user (https://developers.google.com/sheets/api/limits). This issue has also been found elsewhere, e.g.
  https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53765222/python-google-sheets-api-limit-429-error-with-loop. We soon will
  remove the dependency upon __googlesheets4__ and thus solve this issue.
* Preparing for removal of __googlesheets4__ from the list of imports.

## febr 1.0.3.9002

* Improvements:
  + New function: `febr2sf` as a replacement for `febr2sp`;
  + Replaces __googlesheets__ with `.readGoogleSheets`;
  + `febr2xlsx` is now deprecated and __febr__ does not depend upon __xlsx__ anymore;
  + Improves documentation;
* Bug fixes:
  + `layer`: standard variables are only set to type character when `stack = TRUE`;

## febr 1.0.3.9001

* Improvements:
  + Replaces __sp__ with __sf__;
  + Exports new data reading function: `.readGoogleSheets`;
  + Improves documentation;
* Bug fixes:
  + `metadata`: get correct file id.

## febr 1.0.3.9000

* Replacing __googlesheets__ with __googlesheets4__.

## febr 1.0.3

* New version (patch) including internal changes in download functions and documentation improvements.

## febr 1.0.2.9001

* Preparing for future modifications in data storage in ___febr___. Now the sheet name (`dataset`, 
  `observacao`, `camada` or `metadado`) is explicitly specified withing download functions. The user should not
  have to worry about this change.

## febr 1.0.2.9000

* Bug fix: setting argument `missing = list(coord = 'drop')` in function `observation()` now correctly drops 
  observations missing spatial coordinates. Thanks to Edberto Moura Lima, from the Federal University of Santa
  Maria, who identified the bug. Equivalent modifications were implemented in function `layer()`.

## febr 1.0.2

* New version (patch) -- including several bug fixes.

## febr 1.0.1.9003

* Bug fixes:
    - __knitr__ was moved from Imports to Suggests.
    - `observatio()`: checking if the number of observations with date is greater than the number of 
      observations without date.
    - `unit()`: checking if the value passed to an argument is valid.

## febr 1.0.1.9002

* `#VALUE!` now is considered as `NA`. This can be found when a calculation is performed in one of the
  Google Sheets.

## febr 1.0.1.9001

* `tr` now is considered as `NA`. This is frequently found in the _camada_ table.

## febr 1.0.1.9000

* Bug fixes:
    - Many layers from datasets that have not gone through revision yet are lacking the identification code
      `camada_id`, which is automatically set to `NA_character_`. In these cases, when merging repeated layer 
      data using `layer(standardization = list(repetition = "combine"))`, the entire observation would be 
      merged. This was because for all layers `camada_id = NA_character_`, that is, `camada_id` was duplicated.
      Now duplicates are checked using `duplicated(incomparables = NA)` to avoid incorrect merges.
    - The lowermost limit of some layers is recorded as being a wavy or irregular layer trasitions. This is 
      done using `/`. The depth data of these layes may include a plus sign indicating that the same material 
      can be found deeper in the soil. This poses a difficulty when processing the plus sign with `eval()` and
      `parse()` because `/` is interpreted as a division sign. Now the presence of `/` is checked before 
      deciding how to deal with the plus sign.

## febr 1.0.1

* New version (patch) -- including several bug fixes.

## febr 1.0.0.9009

* Adjustments for new release.

## febr 1.0.0.9008

* Bug fixes:
    - Corrects the arrangement of the columns of the table containing measurement units and fields names.
    - Corrects the stacking of measurement units and fields names.
    - Takes into account that both '<' and '< ' are used to indicate 'less than'.
    - `-` is used as a surrogate measurement unit for variables that are unitless.

## febr 1.0.0.9007

* Bug fix: proceeds with standardization and harmonization only when the dataset has data on the selected 
  variables. This should produce a minor speed improvement.

## febr 1.0.0.9006

* Bug fix: `-` is used as a surrogate measurement unit for variables that are unitless. This is necessary to
  perform data standardization.

## febr 1.0.0.9005

* Bug fix: exports correct data type when combining categorical data values when there are repeated 
  measurements.

## febr 1.0.0.9004

* Bug fix: stops execution of `layer` and `observation` when downloading a single dataset with `stack = TRUE`.

## febr 1.0.0.9003

* Accommodates changes in ___febr___:
  - Field `camada_numero` now is `camada_id`.
  - Field `amostra_codigo` now is `amostra_id`.

## febr 1.0.0.9002

* Bug fix: during the standardization of measurement units, now understands that measurements units are stored
  in the second line of tables `camada` and `observacao`.

## febr 1.0.0.9001

* Bug fixes.
* Updates authorship information.
* Adds METACRAN package download badge (https://www.r-pkg.org/services).
* Adds custom package devel version badge (based on https://github.com/GuangchuangYu/badger).

## febr 1.0.0.9000

* New string used to identify comments in data tables `camada` and `observacao`. Now using `#metadado>` -- as 
  a replacement of `#unidade`. This allows setting multiple lines with comments.
* Functions `layer` and `observation`: the measurement unit, `field_unit`, and true variable name, `field_name`,
  are exported as attributes of the output `data.frame` object.

## febr 1.0.0

* Submission to CRAN.