---
title: "Getting started with `SpaDES`"
author:
  - "Alex M. Chubaty"
  - "Eliot J. B. McIntire"
date: '`r strftime(Sys.Date(), "%B %d %Y")`'
output:
  rmarkdown::html_vignette:
    fig_width: 7
    number_sections: yes
    self_contained: yes
    toc: yes
vignette: >
  %\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown}
  %\VignetteIndexEntry{Getting started with `SpaDES`}
  %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8}
---

```{r setup, include=FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = TRUE)
```

# Introduction

`SpaDES` is a metapackage for implementing a variety of event-based models, with a focus on spatially explicit models.
These include raster-based, event-based, and agent-based models.
The core simulation components (provided by `SpaDES.core`) are built upon a discrete event simulation (DES; see Matloff (2011) ch 7.8.3 <https://nostarch.com/artofr.htm>) framework that facilitates modularity, and easily enables the user to include additional functionality by running user-built simulation modules (see also `SpaDES.tools`).
Included are numerous tools to visualize rasters and other maps (via `quickPlot`), and caching methods for reproducible simulations (via `reproducible`).
Additional functionality is provided by the `SpaDES.addins` and `SpaDES.shiny` packages (see below).

Bug reports:

- `quickPlot` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/quickPlot/issues>
- `reproducible` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/reproducible/issues>
- `SpaDES.addins` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES.addins/issues>
- `SpaDES.core` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES.core/issues>
- `SpaDES.shiny` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES.shiny/issues>
- `SpaDES.tools` package: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES.tools/issues>

Module repository: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES-modules>

Wiki: <https://github.com/PredictiveEcology/SpaDES/wiki>

## The `SpaDES.core` package:

The core discrete event simulation framework.
See `?SpaDES.core::SpaDES.core`, and the vignettes therein (`browseVignettes()`).

## The `SpaDES.tools` package:

Additional utilities for developing ecological simulation models.
See `?SpaDES.tools::SpaDES.tools`.

## The `SpaDES.addins` package:

A set of RStudio addins to assist with `SpaDES` module development.

## The `SpaDES.shiny` package:

Utilities for developing and running `shiny`-based app interfaces to `SpaDES` simulations.
(Note this package is still under development and is not yet available on CRAN.)

## The `quickPlot` package:

The core `SpaDES` plotting engine, build upon speed and modularity.

## The `reproducible` package:

Provides several aspects of reproducible simulations, including simulation caching.