[DDI-SRG] long and short integers

[Wendy Thomas]

This is interesting because the default value for integers is generally 8 
or 9 digits which makes it long by defination. In fact provided a width, 
the only time there can be a question is when it is a 5 digit number, in 
which case I need to know if its greater or less than 32767. Just seems a 
bit odd is all. Can you check and see what STATA identifies as "long"? 
Just curious.

Wendy


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

> 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
>

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