Probably the most thrilling occasions for us at StataCorp (and hopefully for you as effectively) is once we get to announce a brand new model of Stata, full of latest options. Now, we hope to expertise that feeling with you rather more typically.
Traditionally, we’ve got launched a brand new main model of Stata roughly each two years. We’ll nonetheless proceed to do this, however most customers will now have entry to StataNow – a continuous-release Stata. StataNow offers you entry to new options now, as quickly as they’re prepared from the event, testing, and documentation teams. The options in StataNow are a few of the identical options that will even ultimately seem within the subsequent main launch of Stata. StataNow customers will get extra options on a steady foundation all through the lifetime of a launch.
You possibly can learn extra about StataNow, together with find out how to get it, and you’ll see its preliminary set of extra options. However let me let you know a little bit extra about it right here.
A lot of you create options in Stata that you simply share with others by way of your personal websites, the SSC archive, and the Stata Journal. And all of you write your personal do-files as you carry out your analyses in Stata. Understanding this, let me share with you a couple of technical particulars about StataNow.
First, StataNow is Stata. To be precise, the present Stata that the majority of you’ve got is Stata 18.0. StataNow is Stata 18.5 (which we’ll name StataNow 18.5 any more). When you find yourself utilizing StataNow, it is best to begin your applications and do-files with model 18.5, simply as you beforehand began them with model 18.0. Why is the model quantity totally different? As a result of StataNow is newer than Stata 18.0, and it’s doable one thing in it’s going to must be version-controlled in another way than in Stata 18. That is no totally different than when a brand new launch comes out and it has a distinct model, 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, and so on. As all the time, StataNow is backward suitable, so any applications, do-files, datasets, and so forth from earlier variations will work, with out adjustments, in StataNow.
What if we have to version-control one thing concurrently in each Stata and StataNow? We’d then launch Stata 18.1 and StataNow 18.6.
The documentation and assist recordsdata for Stata 18.0 and StataNow 18.5 are the identical. StataNow options are included in them and clearly marked as such.
The dataset format in StataNow is similar as in Stata.
What are the brand new options in StataNow, and the way typically will we add options to StataNow? See the present set of latest options. There isn’t a set schedule for releasing new options, however we anticipate new options might be launched pretty typically – a number of occasions a 12 months. We’ll launch no new characteristic earlier than its time, which implies that something launched in StataNow is totally official, examined, validated, licensed, and documented, simply as all of the options we put out in a brand new launch of Stata.
When Stata 19 ultimately comes out, it’s going to in fact embody all of the options which have come out alongside the best way in StataNow in addition to some extra new ones. Customers of StataNow will routinely be capable of improve to Stata 19 — really, they may improve to StataNow 19.5 when Stata 19.0 comes out, and over time StataNow 19.5 will get extra options as quickly as they’re prepared from the Stata elves.
We’re excited to have the ability to provide the new options we add to Stata on a steady foundation, getting them into your arms sooner!
