On Nov 11, 2003, at 2:33 AM, Ramani wrote:
This is not a query but an unsolicited solution.
I've had to work out how to download ado files without direct access
to the internet from within Stata.
This is how you do it for Stata 8 using internet explorer as your
browser.
1) If you've never downloaded files like this before create a
subdirectory on your c drive named c:/ado/plus
2) Go to http://econpapers.hhs.se/software (Boston College Department
of Economics) using internet explorer.
3) Go to ado file you want to download, right click.
4) When menu appears, click 'save target as' and navigate to
c:/ado/plus, click save.
5) Do the same with the help file.
6) To access the help, just type -help adofilename- in command window.
*
I presume you're using some flavor of Windows, as you mention "C
drives" and "Right clicks". Please note that many Windows users have
encountered insuperable difficulties with .HLP files downloaded in this
manner, given Windows' propensity to treat .HLP files as its own. I do
not know what to recommend to Windows users (well, actually, I do, but
many do not care for the advice), but in my experience of dealing with
frustrated users of the SSC archive, I would strongly recommend finding
one machine with internet access (the one from which you can send
email, e.g.!) and installing (even if temporarily) Stata on that
machine. (Even an old version 7 for which you have the license or --
with archutil -- version 6 would do). Then you may use commands within
Stata to download the materials and place them in the correct
directories, without Windows managing to mess up the files. Those /ado
directories may then be copied wholesale to any number of off-line
machines.
Nick Cox mentioned that SSC is not the only source of materials.
Indeed, there are more serious problems with offline machines--updating
the executable and ado-files for bugs and enhancements, as well as
accessing new material from Stata Journal (via Stata's website) and
contents of the STB, as well as other user-maintained sites. Although
in some cases machines are offline due to security issues, it is
crucial that they be kept up to date; otherwise you will be bitten by
bugs that have been fixed in an up-to-date Stata, and will not have
access to many new features.
Kit Baum
maintainer SSC archive
*
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
