© Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2007-2023)
The package PBSmapx, which is short-hand notation for PBS Map Explore, provides a convenient Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool for interacting with PBSmapping. The primary mapping function createMap presents a menu system for plotting topographical files as well as output from gridding and summary routines for geo-referenced data such as catch, effort, and catch per unit effort (CPUE). The underlying R code is somewhat convoluted; however, the user can largely ignore the code and simply manipulate the entries in the GUI menu. Though designed for users at the Pacific Biological Station (PBS), the GUI has proven useful for users at other locales.
PBSmapx depends on the R package PBStools, which in turn depends on four other R packages: PBSmapping, PBSmodelling, PBSdata, and RODBC. We use PBSmodelling to implement the GUI. Originally, functions in PBSmapx evolved over time (2007-2012) within the R package PBSfishery, along with useful datasets (regional boundaries, key codes, example data) and handy utility functions. In April 2012, we decided to split PBSfishery into three separate libraries -- PBStools, PBSmapx, and PBSdata -- for public distribution (see pbs-software). The three packages experience different rates of change, with PBStools undergoing frequent revision, while PBSdata and PBSmapx can remain unchanged for long periods of time.
Although PBSmapx is not available on CRAN (Comprehensive R Archive Network), the package (Windows binary and source tarball) is built after using CRAN's rigorous R CMD check --as-cran routine (using R-devel on a Windows 7 64-bit system) and posted to Google Drive. Most of the time, the revision on GitHub can be built (supposedly) in R using devtools::install_github("pbs-software/pbs-mapx/PBSmapx"); however, not every revision has been checked for CRAN worthiness.
In July 2018, the package was updated to use a new function in PBStools called linguaFranca, which translates a limited set of BC stock assessment english words that appear in figures into french. This feature was largely driven by CSAS' mandate to make all scientific research documents accessible to anglophone and francophone readers.
As with any freely available product, there is no warranty or promise that PBSmapx will perform adequately for all circumstances. Additionally, coding errors are possible, and users should contact the package maintainer if bugs are detected.
Maintainer: Rowan Haigh
