RE: [Gretl-users] Request: options in reading excel data files
EVIEWS has more options, and their import from an XLS file is presented to
the user as basically the same as if a CSV or simple text file was being
imported. Other formats can be converted using very similar steps or
commands.
The GRETL Excel import gets the job done, but I suspect many would prefer
the EVIEWS way of showing a single screen (as opposed using 'Forward') to
set all options and not insisting that row 1 has variable names.
See
http://wps.aw.com/wps/media/objects/3254/3332253/tutorials/eviews_tutorial_4
_1.pdf for a 'import/read' screen shot for EVIEWS 4.1
and for EVIEWS 6.0 see http://www.eviews.com/illustrated/Illustrated.html
and Chapter 2 for 'EVIEWS-Meets-Data.pdf' for newer bells and whistles that
include 'guessing' each column's format as text, number or date.
Finally, I wanted to be able to automate importing a set of similar EXCEL
files in GRETL and could not see how to get full control with something like
open excel 'C:\data.xls' 1 1 'sheet1'
I think the GUI steps should produce the full set of options, as opposed to
the command log showing just
open "C:\test1.xls"
Still GRETL is great and clearly a top choice for students. I especially
like the command log feature that documents each GUI click-on step. And the
interface to R is a great idea that opens it up to more researchers.
Allin-- As I work with it more I will give a list of feature requests on
the data side, such as an ODBC or MySQL interface, but these may go farther
from your original vision. For general import/export I suspect that making
use of XML as the intermediate format between any two packages would be the
best long run development course, especially since EXCEL 2007 writes XML as
the default.
-----Original Message-----
From: gretl-users-bounces(a)lists.wfu.edu
[mailto:gretl-users-bounces@lists.wfu.edu] On Behalf Of Allin Cottrell
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 3:24 PM
To: Gretl list
Subject: Re: [Gretl-users] Request: options in reading excel data files
On Thu, 17 Apr 2008, Peter Davidoff wrote:
It has been nearly 5 years since I have used Eviews. But the
import from XLS was so bad back then that I wrote a several page
tutorial for other members of my econometrics class. I
understand that the tutorial is still being circulated.
As a point of reference, I have had no complaints from student
regarding import of data into GRETL from any of the 5
econometric classes that I have taught... but we only import
data that has been spit out of Excel into tab, space, or command
delimited format.
Thanks for the info. I haven't used current Eviews, but the last
time I tried importing into Eviews from XLS it struck me as a
terrible pain, consistent with what you're saying.
Allin Cottrell
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