Check available FFB dataset versions

Here we present a practical guide to the funga_version() function of the fungaR package. This function retrieves metadata about the dataset versions of the Flora e Funga do Brasil (FFB) checklist currently published on the FFB IPT data portal, hosted by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden.

Because FFB is a living checklist, continuously updated as taxonomists review and add names, every dataset release is versioned. Checking which versions exist — and which one is current — is normally the first step before downloading, parsing, or filtering FFB data, since it lets you pin your analysis to a specific, citable release.

Function Overview

funga_version() takes no arguments: it simply queries the FFB IPT metadata and returns a data frame summarizing every published version.

Output columns

Column Description
Version Version number of the dataset release.
Published_on Timestamp of the dataset release.
Records Number of records included in the release.
URL Direct link to the dataset version on the IPT portal.
Latest Logical. TRUE for the row corresponding to the most recently published version.

List all available versions

library(fungaR)

versions_df <- funga_version()
head(versions_df)

Identify the latest version

latest <- versions_df[versions_df$Latest == TRUE, ]
latest$Version

Additional Tips

  • funga_download() and funga_parse(), and every function built on top of them (funga_records(), funga_search(), funga_match(), funga_get_children_taxa()), default to version = "latest". You only need funga_version() directly when you want to pin an analysis to a specific, older release for reproducibility.
  • Pass a specific version string from the Version column (e.g. funga_download(version = versions_df$Version[1])) to work with that exact release instead of the current one.
  • The Records column is a quick way to sanity-check that a download completed correctly: the number of parsed rows should be in the same order of magnitude.

See Also