pyglotaran
A Python library for Global and Target Analysis of time-resolved spectroscopy data
Glotaran: A Java-Based Graphical User Interface for the R Package TIMP
Glotaran is a free software program developed for global and target analysis of time-resolved spectroscopy and microscopy data.
A publication about Glotaran, with the title "Glotaran: a Java-based graphical user interface for the R-package TIMP" has been published in the Journal of Statistical Software, on July 1st 2012 and can be found here: http://www.jstatsoft.org/v49/i03/
Glotaran is open-source software and therefore free to download and free to use. If you use the software for any scientific publication we do however request that you cite our JSS publication (see below). Also, if you use Glotaran in any way - in research, industry or education - we are always happy to hear how!
Download the installer for your system from the GitHub Releases page. The release notes describe how to install it and how to set up R, TIMP and Rserve for analyses.
Get started with the Wiki and watch a Screencast.
To build, run, and debug the application, see docs/DEVELOPMENT.md. Contributor guidelines are in CONTRIBUTING.md.
Packaging, installers, and the release process are described in RELEASING.md.
Releases 1.5.3 to 2.0 are described in docs/ROADMAP.md.
The 1.0.0 version of Glotaran was released over a decade ago, and the creators of Glotaran think it's time for a change.
For the past few years they have been working on a (spiritual) successor to Glotaran, re-written from the ground up in Python, called pyglotaran. Please check it out!
Latest stable release is version 1.7.0: Glotaran downloads and installs R, TIMP and Rserve itself and starts R when an analysis needs it, so you no longer install R or start Rserve yourself. The installers for Windows, Linux and macOS include Java. Download it from the GitHub Releases page.
main contains the latest release. The code and documentation of each release line live on their own branch:
| Release line | Platform | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| 1.7.x (latest: 1.7.0) | Apache NetBeans 31, Java 25 | maintenance/v1.7.x |
| 1.6.x (latest: 1.6.1) | Apache NetBeans 31, Java 25 | maintenance/v1.6.x |
| 1.5.x (final: 1.5.3) | NetBeans 8.0.2, Java 8 | maintenance/v1.5.x |
Version 1.5.3 was delivered as an update to 1.5.1 installations through Tools | Plugins. Version 1.5.1 and earlier are available on glotaran.org. Version 1.5.2 was never officially released; snapshot builds labelled 1.5.2 are superseded by 1.5.3.
| Release | Branch | Main change |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0.0 | main | pyglotaran replaces R and TIMP as the computational core |
Scope, branch setup, and acceptance criteria for each release are in docs/ROADMAP.md.
See RELEASING.md for building the autoupdate site, the generic zip and the Windows, Linux and macOS installers.
GPL v2 or later
In conclusion, I find Glotaran to be a highly useful and capable addition to my analysis toolbox. The authors of the program are very helpful and communicative, and I have no doubt that Glotaran will continue to gain in features and ease-of-use. If, after reading this review, you have the slightest hunch that it could useful for you, download it and give it a go. I doubt you will be disappointed.
A Python library for Global and Target Analysis of time-resolved spectroscopy data
TIMP is an R package for fitting superposition models that implements the partitioned variable projection algorithm. The package has been extensively applied to modeling spectroscopy and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) datasets. It serves as the backend for the Glotaran software.