#158 make it easier to specify panel dimensions in the GUI (new dataset )

[Sven Schreiber]

(Copied here from the mailing list for future use and reference.)
Original request by Sven:
"when creating a new panel dataset from the GUI, gretl wants to know NT first. Actually, for something like N = 827 and T = 48 this isn't so easy to tell. Wouldn't it be possible if gretl asked separately for N and T? The default settings in the dialog could be 1 for both, and leaving one of them at 1 would obviously yield a cross section or a time series. The new dialog could also contain hints like 'leave at 1 for time series' or something like that."
Allin's reaction:
"If we're going to ask for N and T we'd have to swap the order of the first two dialogs that come up -- that is, show the one for selecting x-section, time-series or panel first -- otherwise it would be quite confusing. Either that or combine the two into a more complex dialog."

(Sven agrees with this assessment.)

[Allin Cottrell]

New in git: the initial request for a number of observations is eliminated in favor of an integrated dialog calling for specification of both the structure (cross-section, time-series, panel) and dimension(s) of the new dataset.

[Sven Schreiber]

Thanks Allin - actually it wasn't my intention to push it before the release, I just noticed the problem recently and didn't want it to be forgotten. But if it's already there, I won't complain!

[Sven Schreiber]

The dialog looks very nice and useful, thanks. One problem, though, and one comment:

• I get a crash when I select time-series, move on to the next specification dialog, and then hit the Back button. This is reproducible.
• Since we already have the input fields for n and T, is it really necessary to have n and T again for the panel case? But the appropirate greying out works nicely, so this is obviously a matter of taste.

thanks
sven

[Riccardo "Jack" Lucchetti]

With a fresh build from git here on Linux I'm not getting the crash.

As for the arrangement of the elements inside the dialog, any alternative I can think of would probably be less clear, methinks.

[Sven Schreiber]

The crash was confirmed and should now be fixed, closing this.