st: Data Management Tool

["Just Here" <wr_ld@hotmail.com>]

Hi All,

I'm looking into Stata MP as a data management system on linux for 3-5 
users.

The main tasks of the data management system would be to query tables from 
Oracle, mysql, create variables, run statistical analysis/modeling and 
support fairly advanced reporting.

I've worked with SAS and SPSS, however this time around I'd be the one 
paying for the license, and am being consciencious about shopping for the 
best solution. The corporate reflex of "just writting a PO" for SAS or SPSS 
server is not the chosen approach here.

- How does Stata compare as data management tool, specially as it interfaces 
with databases?

- Is it a RAM-only system, or does it pipeline large datasets ?

- What are its limitations as a data management tool ?

- At what point would you say SAS/SPSS is hands down the best solution (if 
at all)?

- Any opinion on its syntax/batch capabilities?

I know next to nothing about Stata's macro capabilities, and one thing I 
like about SPSS is its new Python extensibility. Anything comparable with 
Stata ?

Many thanks for your time.

Marc.

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