$Id: NEWS 97 2010-12-02 23:27:26Z Lars $

Changes to Benchmarking version 0.17

 * The function dea now accepts the argument RTS="fdh+", a technology
   the combines free disposability and restricted or local constant
   return to scale.

 * Changed internal use of matrices such that the corresponds to
   stasndard R use, and, therefore, are not transposed in the start of
   many functions. For normal use this speeds up the functions
   marginally, but the internal structure of the functions are nicer.

 * Directional efficiency now works for RTS="fdh", but still waiting
   for RTS="fdh+".

 * Every group of functions are now documented in a separate file

 * Efficiencies with no solutions returns -Inf or Inf depending on the
   orientation. This is in agreement with the use in super efficiency.

 * Better summaries for Farrell and slack objects

 * Fixed bug in slack when either input and/or outputs have big values



Changes to Benchmarking version 0.16

 * eff() now returns efficiencies as array and not as matrix; makes it
   easier with further calculations with eff as dimensions are now a
   lesser problem.   

 * Use of S3 method for efficiencies, compatible with the package
   frontier.

 * New function excess returns excess input and/or output for Farrell
   objects.

 * The function dea checks if X and Y are matrices and aborts if not.

 * make.merge can now use a named list to define mergers.

 * New function eladder and eladder.plot.

 * New function dea.direct for simplified directional efficiency with
   an interpretation a la Farrell.

 * The function slack works for directional efficiency

 * sdea (super-efficiency)  works with directional efficiency

 * A wrapper around FEAR::boot.sw89 such that it can be called and
   deliver results as other functions in Benchmarking.

 * A new value for RTS in dea.plot: "fdh+". At the moment, however, it
   only works for in-out direction.

 * The documentation has been corrected and somewhat expanded.

 

Changes to Benchmarking version 0.15

  * The methods now stops if there is an unknown value for RTS
    or ORIENTATION

  * dea.dual now has argument DIRECT same way as dea
 
  * new function mea calculates multi-directional efficiencies

  * new function mea.lines draw lines in connection with mea

  * minor clarifications in the manual for dea.dual

  bug fixes

  * dea argument DIRECT fixed for DIRECTION="out"; only worked
    when number of inputs and outputs was equal



Changes to Benchmarking version 0.14
  * make.merge can now use a factor to define mergers
  * data sets included
  * dea new argument DIRECT for directional efficiency
  * opdated all manuals
