{{Short description|Implementation of the S programming language}} {{Redir|S+|the non-free extra material of the Spiegel magazine|SPIEGEL+}} {{More citations needed|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox software |name = S-PLUS |logo = |screenshot = |caption = |developer = TIBCO Software Inc. |latest_release_version = 8.2 |latest_release_date = {{release_date_and_age|2010|11}} |operating_system = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Unix]]/[[Linux]] |genre = [[Statistical package]] |license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] }} '''S-PLUS''' was a commercial implementation of the [[S (programming language)|S programming language]] sold by [[TIBCO Software]] Inc.

It features object-oriented programming capabilities and advanced analytical algorithms. Its statistical analysis capabilities are commonly used by [[Econometrics|econometricians]]. The S-PLUS FinMetrics software package was developed for econometric time series analysis.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Mills |first1=Terence C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pjIWDAAAQBAJ&dq=s+plus+douglas+r+martin&pg=PA1339 |title=Palgrave Handbook of Econometrics: Volume 2: Applied Econometrics |last2=Patterson |first2=Kerry |date=2009-06-25 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-24440-5 |pages=1339 |language=en}}</ref>

Due to the increasing popularity of the open source S successor [[R (programming language)|R]], TIBCO Software released the [https://docs.tibco.com/products/tibco-enterprise-runtime-for-r TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R (TERR)] as an alternative R interpreter.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bajuk-Yorgan|first1=Lou|title=What Makes TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R (TERR) Unique?|url=https://www.tibco.com/blog/2014/08/06/26509/|website=TIBCO Software Inc.|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref> It is available on [[Windows]] and [[UNIX]] operating systems.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8plKEAAAQBAJ&dq=s+plus+douglas+r+martin&pg=PA8088 |title=Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences, Volume 12 |date=2005-12-16 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-74406-1 |pages=8088 |language=en}}</ref>

==<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retirement Notice for Certain Spotfire Products |url=https://support.tibco.com/external/article/137342/retirement-notice-for-certain-spotfire-p.html |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=support.tibco.com}}</ref>Historical timeline== [[File:S-Plus floppy disks.png|thumb|right|S-PLUS floppy disk installation media]]

In 1988, S-PLUS was first developed and released by a Seattle-based start-up company called Statistical Sciences, Inc.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Nicholls |first1=Andy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IPA0CwAAQBAJ&dq=s+plus+tibco&pg=PP31 |title=R in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself |last2=Pugh |first2=Richard |last3=Gott |first3=Aimee |date=2015-12-16 |publisher=Sams Publishing |isbn=978-0-13-428880-2 |language=en}}</ref> The company's founder and sole owner was R. Douglas Martin, professor of statistics at the [[University of Washington]], Seattle. Martin originally learned S while working at Bell Laboratories, where the S language was originally developed.<ref name=":0" /> At the time of its release, S-PLUS was one of the first examples of software that implemented algorithms for [[generalized linear models]], second to [[GLIM (software)|GLIM]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hardin |first1=James W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ux7NBQAAQBAJ&dq=trevor+hastie+s+language&pg=PA12 |title=Generalized Estimating Equations |last2=Hilbe |first2=Joseph M. |date=2002-07-30 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4200-3528-5 |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref>

Statistical Sciences acquired the exclusive license to distribute S and merged with MathSoft in 1993, becoming the firm's Data Analysis Products Division (DAPD).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Venables |first1=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=juAlBQAAQBAJ&dq=statistical+sciences+mathsoft+merger+1993&pg=PA3 |title=S Programming |last2=Ripley |first2=B. D. |date=2013-03-09 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-0-387-21856-4 |pages=3 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1995, S-PLUS 3.3 for [[Windows 95]]/NT was released, including the Matrix library, command history capability, and Trellis graphics. This was followed by the release of S-PLUS 3.4 for UNIX in 1996. This version included a [[Non-linear mixed-effects modeling software|non-linear mixed-effects modeling]] library, hexagonal binning, and cluster methods. S-PLUS 4 was released for Windows in 1997, with features such as an updated GUI, integration with [[Microsoft Excel|Excel]], and editable graphics. S-PLUS 4.5 for Windows in 1998, with [[Scatterplot]] brushing, and the ability to create S-PLUS graphs from within [[Microsoft Excel|Excel]] & [[SPSS]]. The software also became available for Linux & [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]].

In 1999, S-PLUS 5 was released for Solaris, Linux, [[HP-UX]], [[AIX (operating system)|AIX]], [[IRIX]], and [[DEC Alpha]]. S-PLUS 2000 for Windows. {{notatypo|nlme}} 3.3, [[quality control]] charting, and new commands for data manipulation. This was followed by S-PLUS 6 for [[Linux]]/[[Unix]] in 2000. This version had a Java-based GUI, Graphlets, survival5, and a library for handling missing data.

In 2001, MathSoft sold its Cambridge-based Engineering and Education Products Division (EEPD), was renamed Insightful Corporation, and moved headquarters to Seattle. This essentially reversed the previous merger between MathSoft and Statistical Sciences, Inc.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010303113409/http://www.insightful.com/news/insightful.html MATHSOFT SELLS ENGINEERING AND EDUCATION PRODUCTS DIVISION; COMPANY APPOINTS NEW CEO AND CHANGES NAME TO INSIGHTFUL]</ref> S-PLUS Analytic Server 2.0. S-PLUS 6 was released for Windows in 2001.

In 2002, StatServer 6 was released and the student edition of S-PLUS became free. S-PLUS 6.2 was released and ported to AIX. In 2004, Insightful purchased the S language from [[Lucent Technologies]] for $2 million, and released S+ArrayAnalyzer 2.0.

S-PLUS 7.0 was released in 2005, including the BigData library for working with larger-than-memory data sets and the S-PLUS Workbench ([[Eclipse (software)|Eclipse]] development tool). Insightful Miner 7.0 was also released. In 2007, S-PLUS 8 was released with a new package system, language extensions for [[R (programming language)|R]] package compatibility, and a workbench debugger.

TIBCO acquired Insightful Corporation for $25 million in 2008.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080914153015/http://tibco.com/company/news/releases/2008/press924.jsp TIBCO Completes Acquisition of Insightful Corporation], press release, TIBCO Software Inc., September 3, 2008.</ref>

On 31st January 2026, TIBCO officially retired the product.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retirement Notice for Certain Spotfire Products |url=https://support.tibco.com/external/article/137342/retirement-notice-for-certain-spotfire-p.html |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=support.tibco.com}}</ref>

==See also== *[[R programming language]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Statistical software}}

[[Category:Programming languages]] [[Category:Proprietary commercial software for Linux]] [[Category:Statistical software]]