Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

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ah00277
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:02 am

Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby ah00277 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:43 am

Hi,

I'm in the process of trying to download large quantities of annual data from Datastream into eviews using the "fetch" command however I seem to have encountered a problem. When I import the data it appears to have been offset by one year. For example, if I try to import GDP forecasts from the IMF (for example, the code BDWOGDP.C) the observation for 1980 appears as the 1979 observation so the end product is a series running from 1979-2025 as opposed to a series running from 1980-2026 (which I know to be the true timespan of the data).

When I spoke to Datastream, they told me that the issue was that annual series display in their database as the 30th June for each year and so eviews was probably rounding them incorrectly, though I'm unconvinced this is the case and it doesn't explain why this issue hasn't occurred before (I am updating a model that I run every quarter).

Of course, I could write some code to offset the variables by one year but there are a lot of variables to do this for and, as this appears to be a relatively new problem, I'm concerned that it will revert in future and that the code would need to be rewritten to account for this.

I'm currently working with eviews 11 but I know of a colleague running the latest version of eviews 12 who also has this problem (and, similarly, it was not a problem for him before).

If anyone has any ideas on this, they would be very gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!

EViews Jason
EViews Developer
Posts: 870
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:50 pm

Re: Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby EViews Jason » Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:29 am

Thank you for the report. We will reach out to the folks at Datastream and see if we can resolve the issue.

ah00277
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:02 am

Re: Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby ah00277 » Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:09 am

EViews Jason wrote:Thank you for the report. We will reach out to the folks at Datastream and see if we can resolve the issue.


Thanks Jason! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help

ah00277
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:02 am

Re: Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby ah00277 » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:15 am

EViews Jason wrote:Thank you for the report. We will reach out to the folks at Datastream and see if we can resolve the issue.


Hi Jason. I hope you're keeping well. Was just wondering whether you'd had any luck with this issue?

EViews Jason
EViews Developer
Posts: 870
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:50 pm

Re: Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby EViews Jason » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:06 pm

We know what the issue is but we haven't determined a proper fix. I will try and re-expedite the issue.

EViews Jason
EViews Developer
Posts: 870
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:50 pm

Re: Error with importing annual data from Datastream online database

Postby EViews Jason » Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:45 am

I believe we have found a solution. Your Datastream representative should be contacting you soon.


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