Future Developments

OpenBUGS

• Parallel processing of multiple chains (an experimental version now exists)
• Allow data not appearing in the model to appear in a data file (implemented in v3.2.2)
• Better documentation for some of the new logical functions (done)
• Reversible jump methods for adaptive splines and covariate selection
• Improved facilities for modelling dynamical systems (differential equation models), including specification of forcing functions, acknowledgement of uncertainty therein, and more robust solvers
• Facilities for analysing joint models in multiple stages
• More robust computation of DIC

R2OpenBUGS

• Re-start feature. Using the externalize/internalize commands in OpenBUGS, R2OpenBUGS is being modified to allow a user to continue execution after reviewing sampled parameters in R. (done)

BRugs

• Fix bugsData to not require the data to be in a loaded model, and to handle scientific notation properly

Wish List

(these will not necessarily be developed!)

• Allow trace plots to be opened before updating
• When generating initial values for top-level parameters, use the prior mean, not a sample from the prior (idea borrowed from JAGS)
• Allow parameters of dcat() and dmulti() to be any positive number and constrain internally to sum to one