Gretl project on the launchpad
by Ivan Sopov
Hello, gretl developers.
I'm trying to start a translation of help files into russian on
launchpad.net as it seems to be the most suitable tool to participate
for all familiars with econometrics but not with gettext, linux. cvs,
etc.
The problem is that there is already a project for gretl on launchpad
and it is strongly prohibited to start more than one project for a
single program. I cannot contact with Constantine Tsardounis for about
a month, so I think it is time to re-assign that project to someone
else. On the irc-channel of launchpad I was told that
Our admins can re-assign the project to new owners but we'd prefer to
hear from the upstream owners. can you get one of them to submit a
question here:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/launchpad
But if nobody from main developers wants to register and do something
at launchpad it is possible to assign this function to me and in that
case a letter in this list will probably be enough.
I have prepared a .po-file for genr_funcs.xml and gretl_commands.xml
with the help of po4a utility and got 1511 strings for translation
(strings a rather big).
Good luck, Ivan Sopov.
P.S. My previous letter about using launchpad for translation is
http://lists.wfu.edu/pipermail/gretl-devel/2009-November/002171.html
13 years, 1 month
some bugs and issues
by Talha Yalta
Hi everyone:
I would like to report a few problems or issues:
1)- In the "Restrict based on criterion" window, if I use comma as
the decimal sign I get a syntax error.
2)- Why is it that many of the tests are not available when WLS (and
heteroscedasticity corrected OLS) is used? I am asking this because I
can easily obtain the same results with whighting the model manually,
in which case I can also use the White test etc.(and see H0 is
rejected).
3)- When I add observations using Data>Add observations, the forecasts
window still says "There are no observations available for forecasting
out of sample...". (after Cochrane-Orcutt, HL, PW etc.)
4)- When I import a data file with labels, gretl gives the message:
"first row label "xxx", last label "zzz" label strings can't be
consistent dates" This is not an error message right? Because it
sounds like one. I think the "label strings can't be consistent dates"
part is unnecessary and confusing. What do you think?
5)- IMO the data menu (along with the variable menu) is really too
long. How about considering the following changes to make it look less
intimidating:
a)- Removing the refresh window item. (I don't know if it is
really needed. Besides it doesn't even look like it belongs to the
data menu.)
b)- Making a default named list called "all variables" and
removing the "select all" item. Also, could you provide a means to
delete such lists.
c)- Having a single entry for compact data and expand data
Best regards
Talha
--
“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made
in a very narrow field.” - Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
--
13 years, 9 months
Dot and comma: one more thought
by Allin Cottrell
In one of my postings on this topic I mentioned that the majority of
the world's population uses the decimal dot, not the comma. That's
true (since it's what the Chinese and the Indians do) but it was not
very clever considered as a rhetorical ploy since it's strictly
irrelevant to the matter at issue.
Suppose the Chinese were to switch to the decimal comma. That would,
I suppose, be enough to flip the world majority, but it would make
no difference to our question.
Here's the basic point: every programming language that I'm aware of
-- from low-level languages such as Fortran, C, C++ and Java, to
interpreted languages such as perl and python, to the scripting
languages of statistical software such as R, Stata, Eviews and our
hansl -- uses comma as the separator for function arguments (and
also as punctuation for other sorts of listings, such as matrix
subscripts). This absolutely rules out the use of comma as the
decimal separator or "radix point", on pain of fatal ambiguity; the
decimal dot is mandatory.
One may wish that things were otherwise, but this is just a brute
historical fact over which none of us has any control. Anyone who
aspires to computer literacy, regardless of the country in which
they live, has to come to terms with this fact.
In GUI entry boxes where plain numbers are wanted it's easy enough
to take ',' on input from the user and convert to '.' for internal
use, but when numbers appear in a context that involves functions
and other relatively complex syntactical constructs such translation
is not practicable. And neither is it practicable in scripts.
Allin
13 years, 9 months
new "system" syntax
by Allin Cottrell
This is a follow-up to Sven's posting at
http://lists.wfu.edu/pipermail/gretl-devel/2012-January/003663.html
I've added a chapter on "Multivariate models" to the User's
Guide. I haven't got very far with it yet, but I've included
the material Sven posted. However, before we lock this in I
think maybe we can improve things a little.
1) In gretl 1.9.7 the option of creating an "anonymous system"
(i.e. using the "system" command with neither assignment to a
name or a "method=whatever" tag) is confined to functions. But
it strikes me: why shouldn't this be available for scripting
in general? If you're not interested in creating a GUI session
icon, why should you have to name a system?
2) Also in 1.9.7, having defined an anonymous system you are
required to use the dummy name "$system" if you want to access
the system for the "restrict" or "estimate" commands, as in
estimate $system method=sur
This seems a bit clunky. Shouldn't such commands just work on
the last-defined system by default?
So, I'm proposing that one should be able to do the following
sort of thing, either inside or outside of functions (with or
without the "restrict" bit):
<hansl>
system
equation y1 0 x1
equation y2 0 x2
end system
restrict
b[1,2] - b[2,2] = 0
end restrict
estimate method=sur
</hansl>
Does anyone see a downside to this?
Allin
13 years, 9 months
doc for new system programming features
by Sven Schreiber
Hi,
while I still have to deliver on my semi-commitment to come up with some
documentation for system estimation (someday...), here's a suggestion to
append the existing explanation in the reference for the 'system' command:
<to append to the 'system' doc>
Gretl/hansl also allows to define the system in a programmatic way. This
is useful if the precise specification of the system depends on some
input parameters that are not known in advance, but are given when the
script is actually run. (This feature was added in version 1.9.7)
The relevant syntax is given by the 'equations' keyword (note the
plural), which replaces the block of 'equation' lines in the standard
form. An 'equations' line requires two list arguments: The first list
must contain all series on the left-hand side of the system. Thus the
number of elements in this first list determines the number of equations
in the system. The second list is a "list of lists", which is a special
variant of a list in gretl/hansl. That is, for each equation of the
system you must provide a list of right-hand side variables, and the
lists for all equations must then be joined by assigning them to another
list object; in that assignment, they must be separated by a semicolon.
Here is an example for a two-equation system:
list syslistoflists = equ1reglist ; equ2reglist
Therefore, specifying a system generically in this way just involves
building the necessary list arguments.
Example:
open denmark
list alllhs = LRM LRY
list joinedrhs = const LRM(-1) IBO(-1) IDE(-1) ; const LRY(-1) IBO(-1)
system method=ols
equations alllhs joinedrhs
end system
Another issue when programming a multiple-equation system in a flexible
way is how to save and reuse a system specification inside a function.
(You cannot use the "<-" name assignment syntax there, because that
would alter the session icon view, and that is not allowed from inside
functions.) Instead you simply have to omit the "method=estimator"
specifier from the 'system' line. Then the 'system ... end system' block
creates an anonymous system which you can afterwards address with the
'estimate' and 'restrict' commands by using the '$system' accessor.
Only the system which was specified last can be accessed in this way.
Example:
function void anonsys(series x, series y)
system
equation x const
equation y const
end system
estimate $system method=ols
estimate $system method=sur
restrict $system
b[1,1]=1
end restrict
estimate $system method=ols
end function
open denmark
anonsys(LRY,LRM)
</to append to the 'system' doc>
cheers,
sven
13 years, 10 months
Re: [Gretl-devel] Gretl-devel Digest, Vol 60, Issue 7
by Juan Manuel Truppia
Help
On 2012-01-20, gretl-devel-request(a)lists.wfu.edu
<gretl-devel-request(a)lists.wfu.edu> wrote:
> Send Gretl-devel mailing list submissions to
> gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.wfu.edu/mailman/listinfo/gretl-devel
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> gretl-devel-request(a)lists.wfu.edu
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> gretl-devel-owner(a)lists.wfu.edu
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Gretl-devel digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Inconsistency in compacting data (Allin Cottrell)
> 2. Re: strange warning, Johansen test with restricted vars
> (Allin Cottrell)
> 3. some bugs and issues (Talha Yalta)
> 4. ldconfig (Sven Schreiber)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:50:22 -0500 (EST)
> From: Allin Cottrell <cottrell(a)wfu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Gretl-devel] Inconsistency in compacting data
> To: Gretl development <gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu>
> Message-ID: <alpine.LNX.2.01.1201191248560.4280(a)waverley.dhcp.wfu.edu>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> On Fri, 20 Jan 2012, Vitalie Ciubotaru wrote:
>
>> It looks like gretl compacts data incorrectly in some cases. If I import
>> daily data where the series does not begin with the first day of the month
>> and compact them to monthly (end-of-period), then the result is wrong,
>> i.e.
>> the resulting series are not end-of-month figures.
>
> Thanks for the report, I see what you mean. This should be
> fixed shortly, but I want to take a little time to ensure that
> the fix is robust.
>
> Allin Cottrell
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:03:38 -0500 (EST)
> From: Allin Cottrell <cottrell(a)wfu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Gretl-devel] strange warning, Johansen test with
> restricted vars
> To: Gretl development <gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu>
> Message-ID: <alpine.LNX.2.01.1201191602340.4280(a)waverley.dhcp.wfu.edu>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> On Thu, 19 Jan 2012, Sven Schreiber wrote:
>
>> Am 18.01.2012 23:30, schrieb Allin Cottrell:
>>>
>>>> * The displayed warning says "Warning: the p-values shown are for the
>>>> case of a restricted trend", which is kind of strange. Does it actually
>>>> mean what it says? (It can't, really, because this would contradict the
>>>> output relating to exo I(1) variables...)
>>>
>>> Hmm. The intent (and I think the actuality) is that that warning is
>>> printed only when the user has selected the "unrestricted constant"
>>> case. But since that case is statistically weird we drop back to the
>>> "closest" less-weird case, namely the restricted trend (as does
>>> CATS, I believe). The assumption is that the "exo I(1)" variables in
>>> question are something other than constant or trend.
>>>
>>
>> So do you (and the printed warning message) mean that the critical
>> values refer to the case of: a restricted trend, plus an unrestricted
>> constant, plus an exogenous and restricted I(1) variable?
>>
>> (Where the specification did not include the restricted trend.)
>
> Yes, I think that's right.
>
> Allin
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:10:15 +0200
> From: Talha Yalta <talhayalta(a)gmail.com>
> Subject: [Gretl-devel] some bugs and issues
> To: Gretl development <gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu>
> Message-ID:
> <CAL0hRwou=kmvi+nQxunXbaAnzorQ2CXczOTzuM7nB4w0X=LsUg(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> Hi everyone:
>
> I would like to report a few problems or issues:
>
> 1)- In the "Restrict based on criterion" window, if I use comma as
> the decimal sign I get a syntax error.
>
> 2)- Why is it that many of the tests are not available when WLS (and
> heteroscedasticity corrected OLS) is used? I am asking this because I
> can easily obtain the same results with whighting the model manually,
> in which case I can also use the White test etc.(and see H0 is
> rejected).
>
> 3)- When I add observations using Data>Add observations, the forecasts
> window still says "There are no observations available for forecasting
> out of sample...". (after Cochrane-Orcutt, HL, PW etc.)
>
> 4)- When I import a data file with labels, gretl gives the message:
> "first row label "xxx", last label "zzz" label strings can't be
> consistent dates" This is not an error message right? Because it
> sounds like one. I think the "label strings can't be consistent dates"
> part is unnecessary and confusing. What do you think?
>
> 5)- IMO the data menu (along with the variable menu) is really too
> long. How about considering the following changes to make it look less
> intimidating:
> a)- Removing the refresh window item. (I don't know if it is
> really needed. Besides it doesn't even look like it belongs to the
> data menu.)
> b)- Making a default named list called "all variables" and
> removing the "select all" item. Also, could you provide a means to
> delete such lists.
> c)- Having a single entry for compact data and expand data
>
>
> Best regards
> Talha
>
>
> --
> ?An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made
> in a very narrow field.? - Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
> --
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:22:27 +0100
> From: Sven Schreiber <svetosch(a)gmx.net>
> Subject: [Gretl-devel] ldconfig
> To: gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu
> Message-ID: <4F1986B3.3070305(a)gmx.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15; format=flowed
>
> Just a small observation: REcently it seems to me that after building
> gretl from cvs I always have to do 'sudo ldconfig' before I can make
> gretl start. I don't have hard evidence to support this, though. I'm
> mostly using Ubuntu 11.10 (and its derivatives like Mint; this
> observation does not seem to happen just on one machine/platform), maybe
> something changed from 11.4 to 11.10?
>
> cheers,
> sven
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Gretl-devel mailing list
> Gretl-devel(a)lists.wfu.edu
> http://lists.wfu.edu/mailman/listinfo/gretl-devel
>
> End of Gretl-devel Digest, Vol 60, Issue 7
> ******************************************
>
13 years, 10 months
ldconfig
by Sven Schreiber
Just a small observation: REcently it seems to me that after building
gretl from cvs I always have to do 'sudo ldconfig' before I can make
gretl start. I don't have hard evidence to support this, though. I'm
mostly using Ubuntu 11.10 (and its derivatives like Mint; this
observation does not seem to happen just on one machine/platform), maybe
something changed from 11.4 to 11.10?
cheers,
sven
13 years, 10 months
strange warning, Johansen test with restricted vars
by Sven Schreiber
Hi,
I think I was the one to suggest a warning in the Johansen test output
when including exogenous variables. Now I have noticed (have been
alerted) the following:
* gretl now also outputs p-values for the case of exogenous I(1)
variables -- I vaguely seem to remember a discussion about this, and
it's cool of course. I think it would be helpful, however, to give a
reference in the output to what setup (article) this refers. (Or maybe
not in the output but in the command reference for coint2, but I
couldn't find anything there, either.)
* The displayed warning says "Warning: the p-values shown are for the
case of a restricted trend", which is kind of strange. Does it actually
mean what it says? (It can't, really, because this would contradict the
output relating to exo I(1) variables...)
thanks,
sven
13 years, 10 months
Inconsistency in compacting data
by Vitalie Ciubotaru
Hi,
It looks like gretl compacts data incorrectly in some cases. If I import
daily data where the series does not begin with the first day of the month
and compact them to monthly (end-of-period), then the result is wrong, i.e.
the resulting series are not end-of-month figures.
For illustration, I am attaching two short files. "right.csv" covers
exactly one month of observations and is treated correctly. Observations in
"wrong.csv" start somewhere in the middle of a month and cover the
following month, a case that gretl can not handle (it returns "No valid
data" after compaction).
I am using a self-compiled gretl-1.9.7 on Ubuntu 11.04 (the package from
Ubuntu repository is unusable).
Best regards,
Vitalie Ciubotaru
13 years, 10 months
sse for lapack et al
by Sven Schreiber
Hi,
just wondering: is gretl (automatically) using the
SSE[2/3/whatever]-optimized versions of Lapack and/or Blas and so on? (I
know it can be configured to use SSE2 for RNG.)
thanks,
sven
13 years, 10 months
