Re: release plans

[Kevin Smith]

Hello,

  My name is Kevin Smith.  I am a Ph.D. psychologist, and statistician.  I 
have been monitoring the this list for some time watching the progress of 
the application development.  I have a few thoughts on some of the ideas 
that Jason mentioned below.  First, reading SAS data sets is not a simple 
task.  SAS data sets or specific to major version, bit ordering and 
operating system (in some cases anyhow).  One of the major problems that I 
have run in to as a SAS user is that old data can no longer be read by 
newer versions of SAS, and thus users with such data are left with no 
options.  I can see a potential market for an application which can read 
such data, but I also know that the file formats for SAS datasets (even 
the old ones) are considered trade secrets.  I assume that getting SPSS 
data formats is equally as difficult as SAS doesn't read SPSS data.  Is 
what Jason is suggesting really feasible?  As far as syntax files, 
certainly SAS syntax is just plain text.  I don't have a lot of experience 
with language parsers but SAS and SPSS aren't fully comparible in terms of 
what algorithms are used on a huge range of functions.  Nor is data 
handled in the same manner, so I am uncertain how feasible this idea is. 
Perhaps you might consider a compiled (or pre-piled) cross platform macro 
language.  Protection of intellectual property that is found in macros is 
a fairly big deal.  Big enough that SAS is trying to implement an 
encryption, but nothing like macros of format libraries are cross platform 
or even typically cross version compatible so that is an area where you 
might draw in some users.

Just my two cents...

-Kevin


On Wed, 20 Dec 2006, Jason Stover wrote:

> I think "we" (that means either Ben or John) should add the ability to
> read SAS data sets to PSPP. I have no idea how hard this would be, or
> how long it would take. I can't remember if someone already mentioned
> it on the list, but a quick search of the archive didn't show
> anything.
>
> Anyway, such functionality would expand the number of users
> by a lot. SAS Inc. has far more customers than its competitor in
> Chicago, and neither program can read the other's data sets
> (I think). A statistician is typically handed several data sets,
> in many formats, and spends quite a bit of time merging them and
> checking them all. One of the most common data formats is that of
> SAS, so having the ability to read that format would make PSPP
> useful to a lot more people. Any program that can read many data
> formats will be very desirable among statisticians, even if its
> statistical abilities are limited.
>
> Another way to reach a lot more users is to make PSPP able to
> read SAS and SPSS syntax. I know that would be difficult, but
> I believe it would make PSPP useful to many more people. I think
> SAS syntax used to compile into C, it may still do so. It's syntax
> looks like C syntax, so reading it may not be that difficult.
>
> I know you can't implement both of these ideas before the next
> release, or maybe ever, but they are goals worth considering if they
> aren't impossibly difficult.
>
> And I'm still debugging the time series module.
>
> -Jason
>
> On Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 09:28:35AM -0800, Ben Pfaff wrote:
> > I think that we should starting planning a new release,
> > presumably 0.5.0, for sometime in January or February.  I've
> > tagged all the bugs with my opinion on whether they're pre-0.5.0
> > or post-0.5.0 material.
> >
> > What else do we want to see in 0.5.0?  In my opinion the bug
> > system is actually a pretty good way to manage this kind of
> > thing, so you might consider filing a wishlist bug and assigning
> > it to yourself for anything you'd want to make the release.
> >
> > Opinions?
> >
> > As for 0.6.0: I want to rewrite the output system for that
> > release.  I desperately need to get my ideas for that to the
> > mailing list, but not this morning.
> >
> > --
> > Ben Pfaff
> > email: address@hidden
> > web: http://benpfaff.org
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > pspp-dev mailing list
> > address@hidden
> > http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/pspp-dev
>
>
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