EasyReg is designed for use in empirical economic research (including my own research), and for teaching econometrics at all levels. EasyReg is programmed in Microsoft Visual Basic 5, and therefore works on all 32 bit Windows platforms, from Windows 95 to Windows XP. However, EasyReg has not yet been tested on Windows Vista!
EasyReg is called International because it accepts both commas and dots as decimal delimiters, and will therefore work anywhere in the world without the need to adjust the setting of Windows. Previously you had to change the number setting of Windows to the American setting (a dot as decimal symbol, and a comma as digit grouping symbol) in order to use EasyReg in a country where a decimal comma is used. However, this could affect the performance of other programs, in particular if EasyReg is installed on a Windows network. It is now no longer necessary to change the number setting of Windows. However, all numerical output will be displayed with a decimal dot.
WARNING: Do not use a digit grouping symbol: For example, enter numbers as either 312013.37 or 312013,37 rather than 312,013.37 or 312.013,37, respectively.
Moreover, EasyReg works under non-English versions of Windows as well without the need to adjust the language setting of Windows, as long as the language involved uses a roman alphabet, for example German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and French Windows versions. However, if your Windows uses a language with a non-roman alphabet such as Japanese and Chinese, and the EasyReg menus do not open automatically when you move the mouse pointer over them, the problem is likely due to the language setting for non-Unicode programs (EasyReg is such a program). If so, open Control Panel, select "Regional and Language Options", and on the "Advanced" tab, under "Language for non-Unicode programs", select English. This will fix the problem without affecting the language of Windows itself.
A detailed list of the many econometric tasks EasyReg is able to perform can be found on the EasyReg web page, at
http://econ.la.psu.edu/~hbierens/EASYREG.HTM
The function of the EASYREG.DAT subfolder is threefold:
To continue a previous EasyReg session, open File > Get data > Continue with a previous session, and follow the instructions on how to locate existing EASYREG.DAT subfolders.
I have gotten many E-mails from first-time EasyReg users who were at a loss as to how to import data in EasyReg, and get it running. Most EasyReg tasks require data, so that most menu items will be disabled when you start-up EasyReg for the first time. Therefore, if you are a first time EasyReg user, I recommend that you take the guided tour first before you actually try to import data: Open the 'File' menu and click 'How to get data', or click here. The tour explains step-by-step how to import data in EasyReg.
NOTE: All the guided tours run via the default web browser in offline mode. Thus, in the unlikely case that you do not have a web browser installed, you cannot take the guided tours.
A CSV file has the following structure if your Windows uses a dot as decimal delimiter
"Variable name 1","Variable name 2",".......","Variable
name k"
x(1,1),x(1,2),....,x(1,k)
.........................
x(n,1),x(n,2),....,x(n,k)
and in countries where a decimal comma is used:
"Variable name 1";"Variable name 2";".......";"Variable
name k"
x(1,1);x(1,2),....;x(1,k)
.........................
x(n,1);x(n,2),....;x(n,k)
where n is the number of observations, k the number of variables, and x(i,j) is the numerical data entry corresponding to observation i and variable j. Missing values, i.e., empty data entries in the original Excel file, are indicated by ,,... (or ;;... if your Windows uses a comma as decimal delimiter). The variable names are placed between quotation marks (") if some of them contain blank spaces.
If you exchange a CSV file with somebody in a country where a different number setting is used, you have to convert this file according to your regional Windows setting before you can use it in EasyReg, as follows:
Click the Windows 'Start' button, and then click Settings > Control Panel > Regional setting > Number, and reset the decimal symbol according to the CSV file. Next, import the CSV file in Excel, and while Excel is open, put the number setting of Windows back in the original setting. Then save the Excel file as a CSV file.
k m
Name of variable 1
Name of variable 2
..............
Name of variable k
x(1,1) x(1,2) .... x(1,k)
x(2,1) x(2,2) .... x(2,k)
.........................
x(n,1) x(n,2) .... x(n,k)
where 'k' is the number of variables, 'm' is the missing value code, 'n' is the number of observations, and x() is the data matrix. Numerical data are separated by at least one space (DON'T USE COMMAS AS DATA ENTRY SEPARATORS!). The data matrix x() may also be entered in vector form, with each data point x(t,i) on a separate line, or on one line only, as long as the order x(1,1) x(1,2) ... x(1,k) ...... x(n,1) x(n,2) .... x(n,k) is preserved. The missing value code 'm' should be such that x(i,j) = m only if data point x(i,j) is a missing value, for example, set m = -99999. Set m = 0 if and only if there are no missing values. In the time series case missing values are only allowed at the beginning or the end of the time series. In the cross-section case missing values are allowed anywhere. The variable names may contain spaces, numbers, etc., but no commas.
You may use a dot or a comma as decimal delimiter for the data entries x(t,i) and the missing value code, regardless the number setting of your Windows.
WARNING: If you save a data file from the Internet as a text file, the line breaks may not work. However, if you import the file in MS Wordpad and save it again, the problem will be solved.
For example, if N > T, so that your data file is set-up as cross-section data, and if you have K variables for each cross-section j (j=1,..,N) and time period t (t=1,..,T), the data file in EasyReg space delimited text format has the following structure:
L m (L = K*T, m = missing value code)
Name(1,1)
....
Name(1,T)
....
Name(K,1)
....
Name(K,T)
x(1,1,1) ... x(1,1,T) ... x(1,K,1)
... x(1,K,T)
...............................................
x(N,1,1) ... x(N,1,T) ... x(N,K,1)
... x(N,K,T)
where x(i,j,t) is the data entry of variable j for cross section i and time t, and Name(j,t) is the name of variable j for time t.
The corresponding CSV file format is either:
"Name(1,1)",....,"Name(1,T)",....,"Name(K,1)",....,"Name(K,T)"
x(1,1,1),...,x(1,1,T),...,x(1,K,1),...,x(1,K,T)
...............................................
x(N,1,1),...,x(N,1,T),...,x(N,K,1),...,x(N,K,T)
if your Windows uses a dot (.) as decimal delimiter, or:
"Name(1,1)";....;"Name(1,T)";....;"Name(K,1)";....;"Name(K,T)"
x(1,1,1);...;x(1,1,T);...;x(1,K,1);...;x(1,K,T)
...............................................
x(N,1,1);...;x(N,1,T);...;x(N,K,1);...;x(N,K,T)
if your Windows uses a comma (,) as decimal delimiter.
If T > N, so that your data file is set-up as time series data, the data file in EasyReg space delimited text format has the following structure:
L m (L = K*N, m = missing value code)
Name(1,1)
....
Name(1,N)
....
Name(K,1)
....
Name(K,N)
x(1,1,1) ... x(N,1,1) ... x(1,K,1)
... x(N,K,1)
....
x(1,1,T) ... x(N,1,T) ... x(1,K,T)
... x(N,K,T)
where again x(i,j,t) is the data entry of variable j for cross section i and time t, and now Name(j,i) is the name of variable j for cross-section i. The corresponding CSV file format is similar to the previous case.
In the case of fixed effect panel data models you have to transform the Y and X variables in the model first by taking first differences, using the 'linear combination' option in the transformation menu in the case of large N/small T panel data, or the difference transformation in the time series transformation menu in the case of small N/large T panel data, in order to eliminate the fixed effects. Then specify a GMM model of the form:
y(j,t)-y(j,t-1) = b(1)(x(j,1,t)-x(j,1,t-1)) + .. + b(k)(x(j,k,t)-x(j,k,t-1)) + u(j,t)-u(j,t-1),
where the y(j,t)'s are the dependent variables, the x(j,i,t)'s (i = 1,..,k) are the predetermined variables (possibly including lagged dependent variables), and the u(j,t)'s are the model errors. The equations involved are stacked for t=2,..,T in the case of large N/small T panel data, yielding a system of T-1 equations, and stacked for j=1,..,N in the case of small N/large T panel data, yielding a system of N equations. If the original fixed effect model has a time trend, you should include a common intercept b(0) in these equations. The errors u(j,t) are assumed to be i.i.d. for j = 1,..,N and t = 1,..,T. In the case of pooled panel data models there is no fixed effect, so that there is no need to difference the variables. Apart from this, the GMM model involved is similar to the fixed effect panel data model.
If all the parameters are common in each equation, EasyReg will ask you whether the model is a fixed panel data model, a pooled panel data model, or neither. In the case of panel data models, EasyReg will use the typical structure of the variance matrix of the errors in conducting GMM.
The default non-proportional EasyReg font, used for output text, is either Fixedsys if you run EasyReg in default screen mode, or Courier New if you run EasyReg in full screen mode. Fixedsys has been chosen because it is the text font of Windows Notepad, and Courier New has been chosen because it is one of the few rescalable non-proportional fonts.
In previous versions of EasyReg you could change the fonts. This option has been removed because:
EasyReg can only be resized via the start-up window. The modules that perform specific tasks can only be minimized and reset to the initially chosen size.
When you exit EasyReg, either by clicking 'Exit > Just exit', or by clicking the 'Close' control in the upper-right corner, EasyReg will open the next time in the previous setting.
The appearance of EasyReg is optimal (in my view) if you run it in full screen mode with 800 x 600 pixels screen setting.
EasyReg uses Windows system files such as dynamic link libraries (*.DLL files) and ActiveX controls (*.OCX files). Upon installation of EasyReg these files are copied to the Windows system folder. If an uninstall file (*UNST.LOG or *UNST.000) is available in the EasyReg folder, EasyReg can retrieve these system files from the Windows folder, via "Tools > Make an EasyReg stand-alone CD > Prepare the CD". The latter module copies these Windows system files together with the entire contents of the EasyReg folder, including any guided tours, to a new folder, "CopyEasyRegToCD", in the drive where EasyReg is installed. A file AUTORUN.INF will be copied to the latter folder as well. However, before you do this, upgrade EasyReg to the latest version, via the WWW menu, and upgrade or download the guided tours you want to include on the CD.
Next, copy the entire contents of folder "CopyEasyRegToCD" to a CD, and make the CD readable in any CD-Rom drive. Note that only the contents of this folder should be copied to CD, not the folder itself. Then you can run EasyReg from CD on any Windows host computer without installing it. Since the CD is usually write protected, EasyReg will run via EASYREGN.EXE, similar to the network version. The program EASYREGN.EXE is automatically activated by AUTORUN.INF after inserting the CD in the CD-Rom drive.