Re: st: Stata vs SPSS

["Zurab Sajaia" <zsajaia@hotmail.com>]

Fred,



You might want to try our program XML_TAB. It saves Stata output directly 
into Excel file (it uses xml format, which is supported only in Office 2002 
+). You can use any formatting features of Excel from within Stata. In 
particular the program allows you to use "attractive, non-proportional 
fonts, flexible page formatting and simple (and not so simple) control of 
labels and titles".



Formatting 102 custom tables with XML_TAB would still be not as easy as 
using SAS, but it is not difficult. You can save the output into matrixes, 
form the resulting matrix the way you like it, and then output this matrix 
into Excel with XML_TAB.



If you want to output the results of the Stata estimation procedures it is 
much easier and could be done with just one line of code. Try it on:



econ.worldbank.org/programs/poverty/toolkit/#xml_tab



let us know what you think





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Wolfe" <fwolfe@arthritis-research.org>
To: <statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: st: Stata vs SPSS



> Our group recently had an experience with SAS vs. Stata that maybe 
> illuminating. We collected, managed and analyzed data from a clinical 
> trial using interfaces that we in part designed that made use of scanning 
> software (Teleform), SQL and Stata. At the end of the study the sponsor 
> unexpectedly asked us for 102 specially formatted tables. The format of 
> the tables was complex, but was based on SAS generated tables that were 
> standard for the sponsor. The tables had multiple columns, statistics 
> placed at special points within the tables, group comparisons and 
> interspersed headings. Although we could easily produce individual 
> components of the tables, the completed tables as requested was something 
> we could not do but that they did easily in SAS. When I say we could not 
> do it, I don't mean it was impossible. But at best it would have required 
> very complex Stata programming. The amount of work required on our part 
> would have been enormous and we refused to do it. Instead, we provided the 
> corporate sponsor with SAS files using -fdasave- so that they could make 
> the tables they wished.
>
> Stata has problem with output formatting and reports. Although this is 
> rarely limiting for manuscripts and short reports, a substantial number of 
> postings to this list (and programs) are concerned with production of 
> formatted output. In the world I live in, I have to share output with 
> colleagues and journals using the most commonly used formats: MS Word (or 
> equivalent) and Excel (or equivalent). I need attractive, non-proportional 
> fonts, flexible page formatting and simple control of labels and titles. 
> Easy to request and very hard to implement, I'm sure. But such abilities 
> would make Stata an even greater package than it is now.
>
> Fred Wolfe
>
> Fred Wolfe
> National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases
> Wichita, Kansas
> Tel +1 316 263 2125
> fwolfe@arthritis-research.org
>
>
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