Re: st: Re: requesting help for a newbie

["Deborah L. Rhodes" <drhodes@usc.edu>]

Thank you.   I don't have hard manuals to follow and no previous 
statistical package knowledge.  Please be patient.  As stated, I am a newbie.

My first question: Does categorizing numerical data into quartiles require 
two steps or one?   The original data(totdolars)is in dollar amounts.

I have tried to go directly to the quartiles: (using both g and as noted below)
        xtile totdolarsqtl=totdolars, nquantiles(25);

I have the same problem if I try pctile to create percentiles to bring to 
quartiles.  It seems the syntax should be similar.
        pctile totdolarspc=totdolars, nquantiles(1);

I have substituted totdolars (my variable with original dollar amount data) 
for exp, which according to the help file for "creating variables using 
percentiles" is "typically just another variable."

Thank you in advance.  DEB
drhodes@usc.edu

At 02:49 PM 9/10/2003 -0400, you wrote:

> I would suggest that you show us ewactly what you typed if you want specific
> answers.
>
> I'm not sure what part of "varlist not allowed" is confusing you -- it seems
> like an informative message.  You must be using a varlist ( a list of
> variables) with a command that doesn't accept one.  If you look at -help
> pctile- you will see syntax information for pctile, xtile, and _pctile.
> None of them accepts a varlist although pctile and xtile want a new variable
> name followed by an equals sign followed by an expression (which could be a
> variable name, but not a varlist).
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Michael Blasnik
> michael.blasnik@verizon.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Deborah L. Rhodes" <drhodes@usc.edu>
> To: <statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 2:32 PM
> Subject: st: requesting help for a newbie
>
>
> > I have searched the helpfiles with no success.
> >
> > I keep coming up with "varlist not allowed".  Could someone please advise
> > me how to fix the error, but more importantly how to get to the meanings
> of
> > various "error codes" in the help files.  My searches on errors, error
> > codes, varlist, and "varlist not allowed" proved fruitless.  I've also
> > checked FAQ and other resources.   I'm trying to place my data values into
> > quartiles.  Seems to be a two step process, first set up pctiles then
> > xtiles, but I can't get past the "varlist not allowed".  Thanks in
> > advance.   DEB
> >
> > Deborah L. Rhodes
> > student, University of Southern California
> > (Stata 8, if it matters)
> >
> >
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