Ada Ma
> I am thinking about learning how to write macros (purely
> becoz it sounds
> like fun and I just want to learn it for the sake of it).
> Please advice on
> me where to start and whether there are any (hopefully free) online
> materials that I can use to learn the ropes?
By macros I think you mean Stata programs.
Here is one take.
1. Almost all of what you need is in the manuals
somewhere, but not necessarily in the right order.
The relevant chapters in [U] are the best start.
[P] is vastly informative but a reference manual,
not a text.
2. The Stata NetCourses are excellent.
3. It is often best to learn from
examples. Stata's own ado files
are, in a sense, the best single resource
for the budding programmer.
4. Some books on Stata include a
chapter on programming, but most
texts I know concentrate overwhelmingly
on interactive use.
5. The best way for you in detail
will depend a little on your previous
programming experience, if any. Some
treatments will be a little difficult
without _any_ programming experience,
but on the other hand saturation
in some other languages might be
a disadvantage. That's a relatively small
point, however.
6. A certain column led by a certain
person in the Stata Journal doesn't
talk about programming in the strict
sense, but it does discuss in some
detail Stata constructs like -by:-,
-foreach-, -forvalues-, etc., which
are key to much Stata programming.
7. Various specialised books
such as that on -ml- will be indispensable
for many tasks.
8. Use a decent text editor. It's
incidental, in a sense, but it makes
Stata programming and much else
a lot less painful. You can read
the collective recommendations of
some 25 Stata experts at
http://fmwww.bc.edu/repec/docs/textEditors.html
P.S. I get no commission on any of the
products or services mentioned here.
Nick
[email protected]
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