gretl

gretl is a software tool developed for users who frequently work with econometric analysis, by providing them with a bunch of useful features.

The interface of the program is represented by a common window where you can import sample files (Gretl, Greene, Ramanathan), user files, as well as import various items or append data, such as CSV, TXT, SPSS and SAS.

Creating a new data set can be done by specifying the number of observations and data set structure (cross-sectional, time series, or panel).

It is possible to show data set values, get summary statistics, build a frequency distribution or box plot, edit attributes and values, as well as to add a log and to define new variables.

A multitude of tools are available through gretl. For instance, you can create statistical tables and distribution graphs, find a p-value, plot a curve, run nonparametric tests and set a seed for random numbers.

You can locate a particular variable, define or edit data lists, add your own observations, export the variable labels to an external file, and transpose or sort data, just to name a few. There are dozens more options available in this program.

gretl runs on a low-to-moderate amount of CPU and system memory, so it shouldn't interfere with the runtime of active processes. It is very responsive to key strokes and mouse events, and includes a complete user manual. We have not encountered any problems in our testing; gretl did not hang, crash or pop up error dialogs. On the downside, the interface is not very user-friendly. To sum it up, gretl should please all users who prefer a wide range of tools and configuration options when dealing with econometric analysis.