Tobit Forecast error

[ian.e.preston]

I'm having trouble interpreting an error message I'm receiving when trying to produce a forecast from a tobit equation. The equation produces an estimation fine, but when I hit the forecast button I get the error "String argument passed to numeric @ function.". If I do a linear model of the same equation I can produce a forecast no problem. I get the same error in Eviews 7 and Eviews 9 so I'm hesitant to call this a bug, but I can't figure out what the error means. Unfortunately the workfile I'm getting this error on is very large and includes confidential data, so I can't attach it.

[EViews Glenn]

If it's not confidential, can you produce a picture of the representations view?

[ian.e.preston]

Sure, does this work?

[EViews Gareth]

Open your equation and click on View->Representations. That's the information we need.

[ian.e.preston]

Code: Select all

Estimation Command: ========================= CENSORED(D=N, L=0) ELP_TOTAL_CAP C NEAR_RETIRE @EXPAND(ACC_YEAR_CAT,@DROP(100)) AGE_TOA @LOG(EARNINGS+1) @EXPAND(GENDER_CODE,@DROP("F")) @EXPAND(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS,@DROP("N")) MW_EVER MW_REG @EXPAND(SECTOR,@DROP("Construction")) SEVERITY_CAT @EXPAND(NOI_IANCAT_T,@DROP("Other")) @EXPAND(POB_IANCAT_T,@DROP("Other")) @EXPAND(SOI_IANCAT,@DROP("Other")) AMA_PLUS_1Y_G DIAGNOSTICS_1Y_G DRUGS_1Y HEARING_1Y HMA_1Y_G HOSPITALS_1Y NELP_1Y_G P_A_1Y_G PT_CHIRO_1Y_G SPECIAL_NEEDS_1Y_G TPD_1Y_G TTD_1Y_G VR01_1Y_G VR02_1Y_G VR04_1Y VR_OTH_1Y_G VSC_1Y Estimation Equation: ========================= I_ELP_TOTAL_CA = C(1) + C(2)*NEAR_RETIRE + C(3)*AGE_TOA + C(4)*@LOG(EARNINGS+1) + C(5)*MW_EVER + C(6)*MW_REG + C(7)*SEVERITY_CAT + C(8)*AMA_PLUS_M00_03 + C(9)*AMA_PLUS_M04_06 + C(10)*AMA_PLUS_M07_09 + C(11)*AMA_PLUS_M10_12 + C(12)*DIAGNOSTICS_M00_03 + C(13)*DIAGNOSTICS_M04_06 + C(14)*DIAGNOSTICS_M07_09 + C(15)*DIAGNOSTICS_M10_12 + C(16)*DRUGS_1Y + C(17)*HEARING_1Y + C(18)*HMA_M00_03 + C(19)*HMA_M04_06 + C(20)*HMA_M07_09 + C(21)*HMA_M10_12 + C(22)*HOSPITALS_1Y + C(23)*NELP_M00_03 + C(24)*NELP_M04_06 + C(25)*NELP_M07_09 + C(26)*NELP_M10_12 + C(27)*P_A_M00_03 + C(28)*P_A_M04_06 + C(29)*P_A_M07_09 + C(30)*P_A_M10_12 + C(31)*PT_CHIRO_M00_03 + C(32)*PT_CHIRO_M04_06 + C(33)*PT_CHIRO_M07_09 + C(34)*PT_CHIRO_M10_12 + C(35)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M00_03 + C(36)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M04_06 + C(37)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M07_09 + C(38)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M10_12 + C(39)*TPD_M00_03 + C(40)*TPD_M04_06 + C(41)*TPD_M07_09 + C(42)*TPD_M10_12 + C(43)*TTD_M00_03 + C(44)*TTD_M04_06 + C(45)*TTD_M07_09 + C(46)*TTD_M10_12 + C(47)*VR01_M00_03 + C(48)*VR01_M04_06 + C(49)*VR01_M07_09 + C(50)*VR01_M10_12 + C(51)*VR02_M00_03 + C(52)*VR02_M04_06 + C(53)*VR02_M07_09 + C(54)*VR02_M10_12 + C(55)*VR04_1Y + C(56)*VR_OTH_M00_03 + C(57)*VR_OTH_M04_06 + C(58)*VR_OTH_M07_09 + C(59)*VR_OTH_M10_12 + C(60)*VSC_1Y + C(61)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2006) + C(62)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2007) + C(63)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2008) + C(64)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2009) + C(65)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2010) + C(66)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2011) + C(67)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2012) + C(68)*(GENDER_CODE="M") + C(69)*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="UNKNOWN") + C(70)*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="Y") + C(71)*(SECTOR="Agriculture & Forestry") + C(72)*(SECTOR="Bus, Pers, & Prof Srv") + C(73)*(SECTOR="Gov, Edu, & Hlth") + C(74)*(SECTOR="Mfg, Proc & Pckg") + C(75)*(SECTOR="Mining & Petroleum") + C(76)*(SECTOR="Prov") + C(77)*(SECTOR="Self-Insured, Oth WCBs, Misc Claim, Temp Class") + C(78)*(SECTOR="Trans, Comm & Util") + C(79)*(SECTOR="Wholesale & Retail") + C(80)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Systemic Disease") + C(81)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_bone") + C(82)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_cran") + C(83)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_muscle") + C(84)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_oth") + C(85)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_wound") + C(86)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Head") + C(87)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Lower Ext") + C(88)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Neck") + C(89)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_back") + C(90)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_chest") + C(91)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_oth") + C(92)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_shoulder") + C(93)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Upper Ext") + C(94)*(SOI_IANCAT="Chemical") + C(95)*(SOI_IANCAT="Container") + C(96)*(SOI_IANCAT="Furniture") + C(97)*(SOI_IANCAT="Machinery") + C(98)*(SOI_IANCAT="Part-Material") + C(99)*(SOI_IANCAT="Person-Plant-Animal-Minteral") + C(100)*(SOI_IANCAT="Structure-Surface") + C(101)*(SOI_IANCAT="Tool-Instrument-Equipment") + C(102)*(SOI_IANCAT="Vehicle") Forecasting Equation: ========================= I_ELP_TOTAL_CA = C(1) + C(2)*NEAR_RETIRE + C(3)*AGE_TOA + C(4)*@LOG(EARNINGS+1) + C(5)*MW_EVER + C(6)*MW_REG + C(7)*SEVERITY_CAT + C(8)*AMA_PLUS_M00_03 + C(9)*AMA_PLUS_M04_06 + C(10)*AMA_PLUS_M07_09 + C(11)*AMA_PLUS_M10_12 + C(12)*DIAGNOSTICS_M00_03 + C(13)*DIAGNOSTICS_M04_06 + C(14)*DIAGNOSTICS_M07_09 + C(15)*DIAGNOSTICS_M10_12 + C(16)*DRUGS_1Y + C(17)*HEARING_1Y + C(18)*HMA_M00_03 + C(19)*HMA_M04_06 + C(20)*HMA_M07_09 + C(21)*HMA_M10_12 + C(22)*HOSPITALS_1Y + C(23)*NELP_M00_03 + C(24)*NELP_M04_06 + C(25)*NELP_M07_09 + C(26)*NELP_M10_12 + C(27)*P_A_M00_03 + C(28)*P_A_M04_06 + C(29)*P_A_M07_09 + C(30)*P_A_M10_12 + C(31)*PT_CHIRO_M00_03 + C(32)*PT_CHIRO_M04_06 + C(33)*PT_CHIRO_M07_09 + C(34)*PT_CHIRO_M10_12 + C(35)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M00_03 + C(36)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M04_06 + C(37)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M07_09 + C(38)*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M10_12 + C(39)*TPD_M00_03 + C(40)*TPD_M04_06 + C(41)*TPD_M07_09 + C(42)*TPD_M10_12 + C(43)*TTD_M00_03 + C(44)*TTD_M04_06 + C(45)*TTD_M07_09 + C(46)*TTD_M10_12 + C(47)*VR01_M00_03 + C(48)*VR01_M04_06 + C(49)*VR01_M07_09 + C(50)*VR01_M10_12 + C(51)*VR02_M00_03 + C(52)*VR02_M04_06 + C(53)*VR02_M07_09 + C(54)*VR02_M10_12 + C(55)*VR04_1Y + C(56)*VR_OTH_M00_03 + C(57)*VR_OTH_M04_06 + C(58)*VR_OTH_M07_09 + C(59)*VR_OTH_M10_12 + C(60)*VSC_1Y + C(61)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2006) + C(62)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2007) + C(63)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2008) + C(64)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2009) + C(65)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2010) + C(66)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2011) + C(67)*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2012) + C(68)*(GENDER_CODE="M") + C(69)*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="UNKNOWN") + C(70)*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="Y") + C(71)*(SECTOR="Agriculture & Forestry") + C(72)*(SECTOR="Bus, Pers, & Prof Srv") + C(73)*(SECTOR="Gov, Edu, & Hlth") + C(74)*(SECTOR="Mfg, Proc & Pckg") + C(75)*(SECTOR="Mining & Petroleum") + C(76)*(SECTOR="Prov") + C(77)*(SECTOR="Self-Insured, Oth WCBs, Misc Claim, Temp Class") + C(78)*(SECTOR="Trans, Comm & Util") + C(79)*(SECTOR="Wholesale & Retail") + C(80)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Systemic Disease") + C(81)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_bone") + C(82)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_cran") + C(83)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_muscle") + C(84)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_oth") + C(85)*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_wound") + C(86)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Head") + C(87)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Lower Ext") + C(88)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Neck") + C(89)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_back") + C(90)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_chest") + C(91)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_oth") + C(92)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_shoulder") + C(93)*(POB_IANCAT_T="Upper Ext") + C(94)*(SOI_IANCAT="Chemical") + C(95)*(SOI_IANCAT="Container") + C(96)*(SOI_IANCAT="Furniture") + C(97)*(SOI_IANCAT="Machinery") + C(98)*(SOI_IANCAT="Part-Material") + C(99)*(SOI_IANCAT="Person-Plant-Animal-Minteral") + C(100)*(SOI_IANCAT="Structure-Surface") + C(101)*(SOI_IANCAT="Tool-Instrument-Equipment") + C(102)*(SOI_IANCAT="Vehicle") ELP_TOTAL_CAP = 0*@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/C(103)) + (1-@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/C(103))>0)*(I_ELP_TOTAL_CA*(1-@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/C(103)))+C(103)*(@DNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/C(103)))) Substituted Coefficients: ========================= I_ELP_TOTAL_CA = -1614710.98065 - 26789.5530394*NEAR_RETIRE + 6957.74415121*AGE_TOA + 48590.3102126*@LOG(EARNINGS+1) + 40635.5642547*MW_EVER + 22673.5688848*MW_REG - 92409.9787925*SEVERITY_CAT + 3.30958033183*AMA_PLUS_M00_03 + 18.1482252985*AMA_PLUS_M04_06 + 7.7893220426*AMA_PLUS_M07_09 + 28.4748167969*AMA_PLUS_M10_12 + 72.8581174228*DIAGNOSTICS_M00_03 + 98.0641095925*DIAGNOSTICS_M04_06 + 47.6480910912*DIAGNOSTICS_M07_09 + 167.107923955*DIAGNOSTICS_M10_12 + 25.3971707172*DRUGS_1Y - 81.0565197441*HEARING_1Y + 8.08268741174*HMA_M00_03 - 22.8693450601*HMA_M04_06 + 4.39098628697*HMA_M07_09 + 71.7153004096*HMA_M10_12 + 1.46172245252*HOSPITALS_1Y + 2.93654832849*NELP_M00_03 + 8.01757385383*NELP_M04_06 + 8.3276759079*NELP_M07_09 + 4.256710017*NELP_M10_12 + 2.34844559079*P_A_M00_03 + 12.7076082919*P_A_M04_06 + 10.1143698038*P_A_M07_09 + 9.80559570228*P_A_M10_12 + 25.9734909709*PT_CHIRO_M00_03 + 27.768574888*PT_CHIRO_M04_06 - 4.69562787031*PT_CHIRO_M07_09 + 52.8666677923*PT_CHIRO_M10_12 - 1.12685708913*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M00_03 + 10.6523493799*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M04_06 + 6.31432883308*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M07_09 + 2.02842969604*SPECIAL_NEEDS_M10_12 + 5.01252030069*TPD_M00_03 + 14.6447576257*TPD_M04_06 + 17.2189782895*TPD_M07_09 + 31.623360628*TPD_M10_12 + 9.53010743679*TTD_M00_03 + 12.6196426568*TTD_M04_06 + 10.5699200352*TTD_M07_09 + 17.6016034446*TTD_M10_12 + 15.6129449199*VR01_M00_03 + 21.5224459081*VR01_M04_06 + 23.6770971921*VR01_M07_09 + 41.0159588494*VR01_M10_12 - 12.1478646249*VR02_M00_03 + 8.262673884*VR02_M04_06 + 4.59013830089*VR02_M07_09 + 19.7543303331*VR02_M10_12 + 28.2245777518*VR04_1Y + 15.3559915624*VR_OTH_M00_03 + 12.3849878504*VR_OTH_M04_06 + 4.6052073706*VR_OTH_M07_09 + 4.28998113708*VR_OTH_M10_12 + 3.91405997335*VSC_1Y - 84327.9485296*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2006) - 90754.0103886*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2007) - 112812.492508*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2008) - 160667.435539*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2009) - 204292.776148*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2010) - 268039.661526*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2011) - 336892.014279*(ACC_YEAR_CAT=2012) - 26588.6576571*(GENDER_CODE="M") - 82596.3601714*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="UNKNOWN") + 17773.5953263*(MULTIPLE_CLAIMS="Y") - 47702.6837375*(SECTOR="Agriculture & Forestry") - 40159.2101544*(SECTOR="Bus, Pers, & Prof Srv") - 78737.2808991*(SECTOR="Gov, Edu, & Hlth") + 31694.789773*(SECTOR="Mfg, Proc & Pckg") + 23894.8306953*(SECTOR="Mining & Petroleum") - 85589.078792*(SECTOR="Prov") + 7842.64724103*(SECTOR="Self-Insured, Oth WCBs, Misc Claim, Temp Class") - 44925.9333435*(SECTOR="Trans, Comm & Util") - 41044.2234382*(SECTOR="Wholesale & Retail") - 39560.7004262*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Systemic Disease") - 125797.279309*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_bone") - 171592.986912*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_cran") - 122751.782997*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_muscle") - 119384.547665*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_oth") - 167261.231562*(NOI_IANCAT_T="Trauma_wound") - 5520.68117683*(POB_IANCAT_T="Head") - 5957.58718901*(POB_IANCAT_T="Lower Ext") + 20734.5516747*(POB_IANCAT_T="Neck") + 21733.1561062*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_back") + 56183.3076002*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_chest") - 51982.9554993*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_oth") + 35951.9793047*(POB_IANCAT_T="Trunk_shoulder") + 40623.9025504*(POB_IANCAT_T="Upper Ext") + 63603.5054665*(SOI_IANCAT="Chemical") - 49275.4115523*(SOI_IANCAT="Container") - 49134.9548235*(SOI_IANCAT="Furniture") - 28137.9802417*(SOI_IANCAT="Machinery") - 19204.9967132*(SOI_IANCAT="Part-Material") - 5124.86723758*(SOI_IANCAT="Person-Plant-Animal-Minteral") - 35599.6578216*(SOI_IANCAT="Structure-Surface") - 54214.5643318*(SOI_IANCAT="Tool-Instrument-Equipment") - 47208.6811414*(SOI_IANCAT="Vehicle") ELP_TOTAL_CAP = 0*@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/372644.142433) + (1-@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/372644.142433)>0)*(I_ELP_TOTAL_CA*(1-@CNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/372644.142433))+372644.142433*(@DNORM((0 - I_ELP_TOTAL_CA)/372644.142433)))

[ian.e.preston]

Bump. Any help on this? A quick "we're working on it" would be reassuring.

[EViews Glenn]

Sorry. I was out-of-the office on Friday and Monday. We're looking at it :)

[ian.e.preston]

No worries, I appreciate the help!

[EViews Glenn]

I have a implemented a fix and it is undergoing testing right now. If all is well, it will appear in the next patch. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Note that for now, you should be able to copy the two equations from the representations view and use them to evaluate the forecast, or better yet, you can make a model from your equation and then solve it for the period of interest.

[EViews Glenn]

The fix is in today's patch. Please let us know if you experience any other difficulties. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

[ian.e.preston]

Thanks for the update. My company is quite slow about implementing patches. I'll verify the fix and report back when possible.