[DDI-SRG] long and short integers

[I-Lin Kuo]

stata identifies byte, int, long. Other stat packages probably infer this
from the data.

The specification of the data type as int or long can affect whether the
dataset actually fits into memory or crashes with an out-of-memory error
when you try to do a calculation with it. It probably also affects the speed
of the calculations.

I don't think that in this case, the data itself really cares though.

On 8/1/07, Wendy Thomas <wlt at pop.umn.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Data types in SPSS
>
> Numeric  (width, decimal places)
> Comma
> Dot
> Scientific notation
> Date (with a whole range of format options)
> Dollar (with laoyout options)
> Custom currency
> String
>
>
> We may be moving into the world of overkill. As for allocating space, all
> these stats packages are space hogs. The read in the whole data set store
> all outputs and processes add filter variables and maintain a log. I don't
> think this is a function of long vs short integers
>
> Wendy
>
>
> On Wed, 1 Aug 2007, Wendy Thomas wrote:
>
> >
> > 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
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> DDI-SRG mailing list
> >>> DDI-SRG at icpsr.umich.edu
> >>> http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/mailman/listinfo/ddi-srg
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> 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
> > _______________________________________________
> > DDI-SRG mailing list
> > DDI-SRG at icpsr.umich.edu
> > http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/mailman/listinfo/ddi-srg
> >
>
> 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
>



-- 
I-Lin Kuo
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