Re: st: View source code of mata function from library mataado

[Matthieu Stigler <matthieu.stigler@graduateinstitute.ch>]

Dear Nick

Thanks for the clarification and discussion!

Matthieu
--------------
Matthieu Stigler
Researcher
Centre for Finance and Development, http://graduateinstitute.ch/cfd

THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE | GENEVA
Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Tel: (+41 22) 908 59 51



2013/11/26 Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>:
> Here is another reason: Although the name of a Mata function may be
> visible to you if in turn that function calls undocumented functions
> or other code, then StataCorp would (I guess) keep quiet about that.
> Nick
> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>
>
> On 26 November 2013 18:08, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Clearly if Mata code is also available as source code  then not being
>> able to understand the object code is immaterial.
>>
>> The rest is much easier to understand than you imply.
>>
>> 1. StataCorp is in business and chooses to keep all of its C code
>> secret as a matter of protecting its most vital asset.
>>
>> This is a matter not only of considering other businesses in
>> competition with StataCorp but also of considering anybody who might
>> want to borrow or steal code for their own purposes, e.g. to release
>> Rata as a free clone of Stata.
>>
>> This extends also to some of StataCorp's Mata code. Quite where the
>> company draws the line is no doubt a delicate question but it could
>> easily include any code that involves anything clever that the company
>> does not want to see  exposed. There could be more mundane reasons
>> e.g. code that is not documented well or is too complicated for users
>> to understand without detailed explanation or that users would ask
>> questions about that StataCorp does not want to answer.
>>
>> 2. As far as user-programmers are concerned, the decisions are in
>> detail different but can be loosely similar. For example, people might
>> have obligations to their employers not to disclose full details of
>> code developed while an employee or wish to keep original algorithms
>> veiled until they have been published.
>>
>> FWIW, all the Mata code I ever make public is fully explicit but I
>> imply no criticism of anyone who is obliged to, or chooses to, work
>> otherwise.
>>
>> In short, Stata is not R. Noone ever said it was all open code.
>>
>> As Wittgenstein almost said in the Tractatus, whereof one does not
>> want to speak, thereof one can be silent
>>
>> Nick
>> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>>
>>
>> On 26 November 2013 17:48, Matthieu Stigler
>> <matthieu.stigler@graduateinstitute.ch> wrote:
>>> Dear Nick
>>>
>>> Thanks for your answer! Note however that in a very similar case, the
>>> function panelsetup in mlib lmatabase (see mata: mata which
>>> panelsetup), it is possible to see the source code!
>>> viewsource panelsetup.mata
>>>
>>> so it seems that while (some) functions in the STATA mlib lmatabase
>>> can be accessed, functions in STATA package lmataado would be hidden?
>>> That seems very weird, I can't understand why STATA developers would
>>> like to hide their code?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Matthieu
>>> --------------
>>> Matthieu Stigler
>>> Researcher
>>> Centre for Finance and Development, http://graduateinstitute.ch/cfd
>>>
>>> THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE | GENEVA
>>> Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement
>>> Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
>>> Tel: (+41 22) 908 59 51
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2013/11/26 Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>:
>>>> No; this is not surprising. -viewsource-, as its name implies, is for
>>>> viewing source code. Anything in an .mlib is object code. Regardless
>>>> of whether it is visible to you, no human can make sense of it.
>>>>
>>>> Mata programmers aren't obliged to make their source code available
>>>> and there could be good reasons not to do that.
>>>>
>>>> Nick
>>>> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 26 November 2013 15:08, Matthieu Stigler
>>>> <matthieu.stigler@graduateinstitute.ch> wrote:
>>>>> Hi
>>>>>
>>>>> I would like to see the source code of the mata function
>>>>> _iv_kclass_wrk, contained in the mataado.mlib library. However, when
>>>>> typing:
>>>>> viewsource _iv_kclass_wrk.mata
>>>>>
>>>>> I get an error message. This is surprising since:
>>>>> : mata which _iv_kclass_wrk
>>>>>   _iv_kclass_wrk():  lmataado
>>>>> : end
>>>>>
>>>>> confirms this function exists and is in lmataado. How is it possible
>>>>> to inspect the source code? It does not look like viewsource/source
>>>>> have optional arguments to precise the mlib library location?
>>>>>
>>>>> note this question is very similar to:
>>>>> http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2013-01/msg01387.html
>>>>>
>>>>> which remained apparently unanswered?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks a lot!
>>>>>
>>>>> Matthieu
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