Add pins package support for RATS-compatible time series data versioning and sharing

[Copilot]

This PR adds comprehensive support for the R pins package to enable versioning and sharing of time series data with compatibility for RATS (Regression Analysis of Time Series) statistical software.

What's New

Documentation

• PINS_GUIDE.md: A comprehensive 219-line French guide covering:
  • Installation and basic concepts of the pins package
  • RATS-specific data export formats and workflows
  • Practical examples for panel data, regression results, and data cataloging
  • Integration guidance for all course chapters (3-9)
  • Support for multiple storage backends (local, URL, cloud)

Working Example

• mse_8/pins_timeseries_example.R: A complete 201-line implementation demonstrating:
  • Creating local boards and pinning time series data
  • Version control and metadata management
  • RATS-compatible data export (space-delimited .dat format)
  • Time series transformations (first differences, percentage changes)
  • Sharing strategies across projects and collaborators
  • Uses the existing Kiel-McClain housing dataset for consistency

Updated Documentation

• Enhanced main README with pins support section
• Updated mse_8/README with detailed usage instructions

Benefits for Users

For R Users

• Automatic versioning: Track dataset changes over time
• Rich metadata: Document sources, citations, and variables
• Easy sharing: Collaborate across projects with reproducible data
• Multiple formats: Export to RDS, CSV, RATS, and more

For RATS Users

• Compatible exports: Space-delimited text files ready for RATS import
• Metadata preservation: Variable definitions and documentation
• Workflow integration: Seamlessly combine R data manipulation with RATS time series analysis
• Reproducibility: Ensure analyses use the correct data versions

Example Usage

library(pins)

# Create a local board
board <- board_folder(path = "~/pins_data", versioned = TRUE)

# Pin a time series dataset
board %>% pin_write(
  my_data,
  name = "housing_data",
  title = "Housing Prices 1978-1981",
  metadata = list(source = "Kiel & McClain (1995)")
)

# Export for RATS
write.table(my_data, "data.dat", sep = " ", quote = FALSE)
board %>% pin_upload("data.dat", name = "rats_format")

Technical Details

The implementation:

• Follows existing repository conventions
• Includes bilingual comments (French/English)
• Provides 7 comprehensive examples
• Adds 460 lines of new functionality
• Maintains minimal, focused changes
• Requires no new system dependencies (R package only)

This enhancement enables reproducible statistical research workflows and facilitates collaboration between R and RATS users in the context of evaluation methods and econometric analysis.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• https://api.github.com/search/code
  • Triggering command: curl -s REDACTED (http block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

Original prompt

One repository uses RATS statistical software. Is it possible to create a pins for it?

---

💬 Share your feedback on Copilot coding agent for the chance to win a $200 gift card! Click here to start the survey.