[DDI-SRG] long and short integers

[Wendy Thomas]

but one can set max length. Does STATA actually ask for identification of 
longInteger shortInteger. All the statistical software I've worked with 
stops at identifying integers. Actually its Numeric, length, number of 
decimals. If not declared SPSS sets a default of 8 characters with 2 
decimals.

Wendy


On Wed, 1 Aug 2007, I-Lin Kuo wrote:

> It makes a difference if you're writing stata code:
>
> http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?datatypes
>
> According to that page, it conserves memory, which is important when working
> with large datasets. My wife uses stata, and sometimes she has to explicitly
> allocate more memory to stata because, I'm guessing, stata keeps the entire
> dataset in memory while working. I don't know how SAS or SPSS are affected,
> though.
>
> On 8/1/07, Wendy Thomas <wlt at pop.umn.edu> wrote:
>>
>> so the only difference between a long integer and a short integer is that
>> that short is limited to +32767 to -32768 where as a long can be
>> +922337236854775807 to -922337236854775808. In either case I can define
>> the total digits. Basically the rule is "if it ain't short its long"? and
>> if I want to be safe I just declare everything to be long so that I don't
>> have to check the ranges of 5 digit numbers.
>>
>> Tell me this distinction has some value in the world of processing social
>> science data. I can see identifying an integer, but is this necessary????
>>
>> Wendy
>>
>> Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
>> Data Access Core Director                Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
>> Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
>> University of Minnesota
>> 50 Willey Hall
>> 225 19th Avenue South
>> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> I-Lin Kuo
>

Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
Data Access Core Director		 Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
University of Minnesota
50 Willey Hall
225 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455