merlin 0.1.0

A separate function named mlrcs has been implemented to fit mixed-effects restricted cubic spline models, with any number of random-effects levels, using standard R mixed-effects modelling syntax;
Added at option for predictions at specific levels of model covariates;
Added options to predict differences in survival models, e.g. CIF or hazard differences. See?predict.merlin for more details on the specific measures that were implemented;
Added heart.valve data in merlin format (from the joineRML package);
Minor bug fixes here and there.

merlin 0.0.2

merlin 0.0.2 is more robust and it includes several bug fixes that have been reported/discovered since its initial release. Among others:

coef, vcov, logLik methods are now implemented for models of class merlin and mlsurv;
The summary method has been revamped, with new options to customise printouts;
Model with a single parameter are fitted using Brent’s method;
Starting values for Gompertz models are improved to improve convergence;
Warnings are now thrown when models do not converge;
Parameters that control the fitting process can now be passed through the control argument;
A separate function named mlsurv has been implemented to fit a variety of survival models with merlin using a simplified interface.

Initial release.