Plotting/Stats Program you OUGHT to know about!

[tdc@ehssun.lbl.gov (Ted M. de Castro)]

This is a note to tell people about a new Statisical Analysis and Plotting
program I have recently found and am quite impressed with.

I am not associated with the company in any way and get no commissions (I
wish!!).  If I were or did I wouldn't be so lazy and this note would
contain a FULL list for features. (actually I found a way to import this
at the end).

If any of you are familiar with Psi Plot by Poly Software International -
this is by the same author - now with a new company.

The program is called Statmost and comes from a company called DataMost:

      DataMost Corporation
      P. O. Box 65389
      Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0389

      Phone: 801-484-3860
      Fax:   801-484-3870

The price of the program is an amazing $59 plus $8 sh.

DOS and Windows versions are available

The lineage with Psi Plot is obvious especially in the DOS version.  It
has ALL the features of Psi Plot 3.0 and more.  Psi Plot doesn't have a
windows version.

I have used practically every shareware plotting program and every
commercial one within my budget (under $200) and StatPlot is definately
the best one I have found.  It is certainly the most capable product for
presentation plots and in the many plotting options it offers.  And it is
second only the the shareware product XYPLOT in being a working plotting
program for "playing" with plots.

BUT StatPlot is also a very extensive statistical data analysis program
with MANY MANY analysis methods available!  Too many for this lazy typist
to list!

It works by putting the data into its own spreadsheet (with extensive
import export capabilties to other spreadsheets).  Then analysis is
preformed there.  The columns can then be plotted in many many formats.
There ia also a statistical report available from the stat analysis
routines.

The documentation is good - much improved - but still not a reference
manual.  The author expects the program to be learned through the supplied
tutorial and the online help.  For me I had to learn to use the program by
doing - the help AND menues are both context sensitive - so if you try to
"chart your course" too far ahead - you won't find a way.  BUT if you
check menues and help when you get to the next step you need - almost
always you will find a way and a new tool!

Hey - for under $70 including shipping - it certainly pays for itself with
just ONE use on a project or presentation.

If you are looking for such a program - give it a try!  You will not
regret it.

OK OK - so I followed my  advice and checked in the help file and found a
FEATURES list I could import into this message.  What follows IS a
commercial message from DataMost and NOT my opinions or representations:

*********************************************************************
*                                                                   *
*                       StatMost Features                           *
*                                                                   *
*********************************************************************

  Welcome to StatMost, the most advanced DOS application for data
management, statistical analysis and scientific, business, and
educational graphics.  StatMost's powerful features can assist you
in performing statistical analysis of your data and creating various
publication-quality 2D and 3D graphs quickly and easily.  StatMost
provides a data sheet window called Sheet View where you can edit and
analyze data;  a text editing window called Text/Help View where you
can edit your calculated results as reports;  and a graphics editing
window called Plot View where your data can be plotted on the screen
or printed at high resolution on common dot-matrix printers, laser
printers, and plotters.

  StatMost is a sophisticated tool for research scientists, business
and social workers, professional engineers, university professors, as
well as college students.  StatMost contains a wide variety of
statistical and graphical methods that is designed to extract the
important information from a set of data.  StatMost is not only
designed for researchers and scientists in their data analysis and
scientific graphics, but also for use in undergraduate and graduate
statistics courses and other science courses where statistical and
graphical methods are applied.  The StatMost program integrates the
entire process of analyzing data and creating graphs under one
graphics environment running under DOS 3.0 or higher.

  StatMost provides everything you need to perform statistical
analysis of data, create and modify scientific and business graphs,
including:

  - A graphical user interface (GUI) with the standard features of
    Microsoft Windows : drop-down menus and sub-menus, multiple
    document windows, mouse support, dialog boxes, on-line help and
    status bar, comprehensive help system, DOS shell, etc.

  - An object-oriented graphics editor that makes it easy to design
    and modify graphs.  This drawing editor includes line, arrow,
    text, rectangle, ellipse, star, triangle, diamond, hexagon, and
    five other symbol tools.  A color palette provides a fast way to
    change color of plot objects.

  - Comprehensive spreadsheet-like data sheet for data editing and
    analysis. Each data sheet can have up to 30,000 row by 256
    columns.

  - Descriptive statistics including sample size, mean, standard
    deviation, standard error, confidence intervals, etc.

  - Analysis of variance (ANOVA): one-way, two-way, repeated
    measure, nested.

  - Analysis of samples: mean, standard deviation, proportion;
    paired and unpaired t-test; f-test.

  - Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

  - Nonparametric statistics tests: Chi-square test; Mann-Whitney
    rank sum test; Wilcoxon signed test; Kruskal-Wallis test.  Other
    statistical test including Kolmogorov-Smirnov test; Friedman
    test; McNemar and Fisher exact test; Student-Newman-Keuls test;
    Tukey test.

  - Linear and nonlinear regressions with parameter statistics
    including confidence and prediction intervals for model
    development.

  - Correlations: Pearson and Spearman rank order.

  - Time series analysis including autocorrelation, partial
    autocorrelation, periodogram; forecasting: linear, polynomial,
    exponential, moving average, and Savitzky-Golay.

  - Fourier transform: forward and inverse Fourier transform
    including FFT.

  - Quality control charts: X-bar chart, R-chart, S-chart, C-chart,
    U-chart, P-chart, and NP-chart.

  - Save data statistics and calculated results to sheet.

  - Full functional text editing window for preparing analysis
    report without leaving the StatMost program environment.

  - Template and batch mode processing: multiple data sheets
    plotting using existing template plot and batch multiple plot
    files printing.

  - Full functional block data editing functions: cut/copy/paste,
    delete/insert, column-row transpose.

  - The ability to import and export data to many spreadsheet file
    formats: ASCII/text, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase III/IV, DIF, Microsoft
    Excel, QuattroPro, SYLK.

  - 3D interpolation and mesh generation.

  - User-defined functions for plotting smooth curves and surfaces.

  - A variety of plot types: 2D and 3D scatter plots, curve (line)
    graphs, surface (mesh) graphs, area charts, error bar plots
    (automatic and user-defined), 2D and 3D vertical/horizontal bar
    charts, stacked bar charts, pie charts, box plots, hi-lo plots,
    step plots, and quality control charts.

  - Automatic legend generation: create legend for each curve in a
    plot with symbol, line and curve names in a grouped box.
    Grouped objects format: change individual object's color, line
    size, etc.

  - A variety of axis types:  linear normal, linear exponential,
    10 base, reciprocal, log, ln, logit, probit, date, day, and
    month.  Axis can be in reversed order.  Flip axis operation.
    Draw gridlines on both major and minor axis ticks.

  - 12 scalable fonts including filled and outlined fonts, Greek
    characters and math symbols.  PostScript and LaserJet printer
    fonts are used if they are available to the printer.

  - Hardcopy output to a large number of output devices, including
    dot matrix printers, laser printers, plotters, and slide
    makers.  Produces color EPS, CGM, DXF, WPG, PCX and HPGL files
    for export to other programs or high resolution devices, such
    as a digital typesetter or color film recorder.

  More features of StatMost are described in the tutorial and
reference sections of the user's handbook.