--- imach/src/README.txt 2006/02/09 20:19:21 1.3 +++ imach/src/README.txt 2022/03/15 18:40:36 1.9 @@ -1,50 +1,101 @@ +Version IMaCh 0.99 + Interpolated Marlov Chain (IMaCh program) -This program is GPL licensed for the part the code that we wrote at -INED. But currently (version 0.98b January 2006) maximization routines use -a modified version of the patented routines from "Numerical Recipes in -C". If you have the right to use the sources of their software you can -get access to the source code and to the CVS tree of IMaCh. - -The program estimates Health Expectancies from Cross-longitudinal -studies. -The main publication is Lievre, A. Brouard. N, Heathcote -Ch. Estimating Health Expectancies from Cross-longitudinal surveys, -Mathematical Population Studies, 10(1), 2003, pp. 1-52. +This program is licensed under the GNU GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE. + +The program estimates Life Expectancies from Cross-longitudinal +studies as well as age-specific forward and backward prevalences in each state. +The main publications are: +(1) Lièvre, A. Brouard. N, Heathcote Ch. Estimating Health +Expectancies from Cross-longitudinal surveys, Mathematical Population Studies, 10(1), 2003, pp. 1-52. +(2) Nicolas Brouard, 2019, "Theory and applications of backward probabilities and prevalences in cross-longitudinal surveys". In: Arni S. R. Srinivasa Rao (Ed.) and C.R. Rao (Ed.), Handbook of Statistics. +Integrated population biology and modeling, Part B, Elsevier, p. 435-486. +http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12204/AWltfxMuXMQCvuZmm9UI -To be brief, for each people interviewed we need the age and health -status at each interview. Also the month and year of death should be +To be brief, for each people interviewed we need the age and +state at each interview. Also the month and year of death should be known as for birth. We model the probability to be observed in any state at any age via a parametric model and estimate the parameters and their confidence interval by maximum likelihood. Many tables and graphs are output in HTML. Graphs are built using gnuplot. -In the Windows version, gnuplot is also distributed. Version 4 of -gnuplot is out since early 2004 and is used by latest version of Imach -(at least version 0.38i of gnuplot is required). IMaCh is supposed to work on -Linux, Unix, MacIntosh (Panther, Tiger) and Windows (9X or NT/XP). - -WINDOWS -On Windows it is distributed via a setup file (no more a zip file). As -usual, you can put the 'imach' directory in Program Files or -wherever. The directory contains at least 2 directories, 'bin' for the -binaries which are imach.exe and gnuplot.exe, doc for some of the -documentation, and 'mytry' in order to test the program on a parameter -file name 'mypar.imach'. - -You still can click on the imach.exe icon (which opens a DOS window) -and drag your parameter file into the DOS windows and enter -return. But with the newly installable version (>0.97) you can use the right -click (once your mouse cursor is on an foo.imach file) to either edit the -parameter file (with wordpad) or execute this parameter file via -imach. -If the program runs well, you get a main file (foo.htm) which can be viewed -with your browser and which includes all the results. - -The program outputs a file named foo.gp which is executed by gnuplot -in order to draw all the graphs. You can edit this file, customize it -at your will and run it to get additional figures or modified figures -tu be published. Jusrt click on gnuplot.exe and type "load foo.gp" for example. +First versions appeared around year 2000. Currently (May 2019) +version 0.99r19 can run on any Unix, including OS/X and on Windows 10 +(64bit) as well as Windows XP (32bit). + +Binaries are usually provided for OS/X (DMG for 64bit), Linux (rpm) +and Windows installer (32 and 64bit). + + +STRUCTURE of the binary + +IMaCh is a command line program (no time for a GUI) which means that +it can be run on a shell by "$ imach foo.imach" where foo.imach is your +'parameter' file which is a simple text file with a few lines that +your must edit in order to describe your data as well as your model +line. In this parameter file you give the name and path of your data +file which is also a text file. + +Even if it is command line program, most operating systems offer +simplifications of use: + +- On Windows, you can click on the imach.exe icon (which opens a DOS +window) and drag your parameter file into the DOS windows and enter +return. You can use the right click (once your mouse cursor is on an +foo.imach file) to either edit the parameter file (with notepad) or +execute this parameter file via imach. At the end of the run, your are +asked to enter a character and the terminal will not disappear. + +- On OSX, you can click on the IMaCh application and a terminal window will be + opened: either type in the name and path of your parameter file or + drag it from the finder. + +The output of your run consists in many text files which are grouped +into a sub-directory having the same name as of your parameter +filename 'foo'. In addition, you will find two other important files +on the same directory as your parameter file: + +-1- a text file named 'foo.gp' which is a gnuplot file. This gnuplot +is automatically runned by imach in order to create the graphs from +the various result text files. + +You can edit this gnuplot file, customize it at your will and run it +to get additional figures or modified figures to be published. Just +click on gnuplot executable and type "load foo.gp" for example. + +Gnuplot is a well known grapher under the GPL license too. As it is +changing often, the OS/X and Windows installers are providing binaries +for gnuplot 2.6.5. + +-2- a text file named 'foo.htm' which is an html file. It can be +opened by your browser and it will display various hyperlinks to most +of your results as well as your graphs. + + +Since the era of 64bit processors and their wide use on OS/X and +Windows 7, 8 or 10, we discovered that our usual GNU compiler were not +efficient on Windows 64 and current binaries are compiled with the +Intel C compiler. On OS/X the native LLVM C compiler from Apple is +very efficient too. + +Usually IMaCh binaries are distributed under two subdirectories, 'bin' +for the binaries which are imach.exe and gnuplot.exe and 'html' for +some of the documentation, and 'mytry' in order to test the program on +a parameter file named 'mypar.imach'. In order to use IMaCh, you need +two text files, one is called the parameter file with extension .imach +or .txt which contains few lines and the data file which can be juge +according to the number of people surveyed. You can find in the +subdirectory doc of your installed package, some testing files like +biaspar.imach and mypar.imach . If you edit such a parameter file, you +will see a link to the data file, for exemple data1.txt . You can copy +both files, parameter and data file into a private directory. Then run +imach and drag the parameter file. + +You can access to the main IMaCh server at +http://euroreves.ined.fr/imach but the main documentation is a wiki at +http://euroreves.ined.fr/imach/wiki . You can download the latest versions +at http://euroreves.ined.fr/imach/Download . By default the file 'gnuplot.exe' is located on the same directory as imach and is used by imach with its absolute path. Thus, if you have @@ -54,12 +105,6 @@ imach (we tried to simplify the installa If you download a newer version of IMaCh, you are supposed to Uninstall the former version with the standard Install/Uninstall process of Windows. -The Windows version is compiled via cygwin (gcc -mno-cygwin -o imach -imach.c). It can be used on a command line with the command "imach -foo.imach". But then imach.exe must be in your path. - -The program can be used on Linux or on a MacIntosh. - Enjoy (?) using IMaCh. You may subscribe to imach-users@listes.ined.fr by sending a mail at @@ -70,8 +115,13 @@ Other comments are included on the Wiki http://euroreves.ined.fr/imach/wiki, please use it ask questions too. Nicolas Brouard (brouard at ined point fr) -Agnès Lièvre (lievre chez ined dot fr) -Christopher Heathcote +Institut national d'études démographiques +133 Boulevard Davout +75014 Paris + +Earlier versions were also written by +Agnès Lièvre (former PHD student at INED) +Christopher Heathcote (ANU)