Re: Re: st: Updates to SSC

[Christopher Baum <kit.baum@bc.edu>]

<>
On Jul 6, 2013, at 7:33 AM, Sergiy wrote:

> Dear Kit, thank you very much for explaining the internals of how it
> is organized. Note, that while nobody can "install packages from a web
> browser" (simply because browsers know nothing about Stata) the use of
> the RePEc SSC page remains a legitimate way of checking the package
> contents (source) BEFORE actually installing the package or WITHOUT
> actually installing the package, or from a system that does not have a
> Stata installed (e.g. smartphone). It is also the only way to acquire
> individual package files to be transferred to another system not
> connected to internet (without creating a standalone package
> installer, such as the one quoted here (see slide #19):
> www.stata.com/meeting/dcconf09/dc09_lokshin.ppt
> 
> In any case the RePEc system should not present a broken link. And if
> that is unavoidable, the announcer can imho delay the announcement by
> 24 hours to give a chance to all automated systems to propagate the
> updates. And the message that "Windows users should not attempt to
> download these files with a web browser." is something that is
> unjustly strict and strictly not correct. Windows users are totally
> safe downloading all those files with their web browser. They should
> not expect that the file will magically install itself into Stata, but
> that is also 100% true for osx and linux users. The reason was
> probably because the *.hlp files were associated with the Windows Help
> Viewer, and since these files are not in the proper Windows Help
> format, they were reported as corrupt. At some point I wrote a program
> which treated the *.hlp files correctly regardless of whether they
> were Stata's help files or Windows's help files, but it is no longer
> required: This issue is long gone since:
> 
> 1) Windows is no longer using *.hlp files for help and it is not even
> possible to open *.hlp files in Vista and later OSs by default as
> described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607
> 
> and
> 
> 2) Stata is currently using the *.sthlp extension, and these files
> will simply open as any text files in your browser. However, programs
> declared as compatible with Stata 9 or earlier (such as e.g.
> - -labellacking-, -ztnbp-) must use the *.hlp file extension (otherwise
> the help file will not be available in those Statas).
> More elaborate discussion of this took place in 2007 during the
> release of Stata 10 and the switch to the new extension:
> http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2007-06/msg00281.html   In any
> case file associations can be done in any modern system, so the
> statement that "Windows users should not attempt to download these
> files with a web browser." is just as applicable to 'Snow Leopard' and
> 'Ubuntu' users.

Sergiy,

I appreciate the additional information about how Windows works now, but as Nick pointed out, there is a sizable
population of users out there who are still running Windows XP (not wanting to upgrade to Vista), and MSFT has
now created the same situation with Win7 vs Win8. So the exhortation that Windows users, in particular, should not 
try to download .hlp files is based on many emails I receive from Windows users who try to do just that and then can't figure
out why there is no help for that command. When they redo the exercise with -ssc install- they solve the problem. I have
not received similar messages from Mac OS X or Linux users, but then they are perhaps a bit more OS-savvy on average.

You can certainly 'install packages with a web browser' IFF your web browser will allow you to download all of the files to
a directory of your choice and you cd to that directory within Stata; the package contents will be available. BUT many users
will not succeed in downloading all of the files -- not only because some versions of Windows will misinterpret .hlp,
but also because many security features on institutions' firewalls prevent transmission of .hlp files. In fact there are 
Stata users who cannot email a .hlp file to me, even in a zip file, without renaming it; their mail system will not allow
such attachments. And even if the materials are downloaded successfully, they will likely be placed in a directory where
Stata will not find them tomorrow, rather than in PLUS.

For users with machines that cannot be connected to the internet, I suggest taking note of the package contents
as listed by -ssc describe-, using -ssc install- on a machine connected to the internet, and then using OS commands to copy the 
materials to the other system with a USB stick, placing them in the same directory. This requires some knowledge
of the OS. 

The RePEc system (IDEAS or EconPapers) does not present broken links; it is the other way around. The -ssc new- page
presents links that take time to be activated in IDEAS or EconPapers. Likewise, StataCorp's -findit- or -search- does 
not pick up changes to SSC in real time. Both issues are generally resolved overnight, depending on your time zone 
(mine is GMT+1 today, GMT+7 tomorrow).

Cheers
Kit

Kit Baum   |   Boston College Economics & DIW Berlin   |   http://ideas.repec.org/e/pba1.html
                             An Introduction to Stata Programming  |   http://www.stata-press.com/books/isp.html
  An Introduction to Modern Econometrics Using Stata  |   http://www.stata-press.com/books/imeus.html
                                                                                                      http://www.crup.com.cn/Item/111779.aspx     


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