>> - values of string variables cannot be declared as missing (true?)
>
>Untrue. Empty strings "" are missing so far as string variables
>are concerned.
Many relational database management systems distinguish between an empty string
and a missing-value string.
I don't know whether SPSS does, too, but if it does, then you'll need to
exercise caution when converting an SPSS dataset to Stata format: in the
conversion, both missing-value strings and empty strings might get mapped to
empty strings in Stata, with the attendant loss of information.
Joseph Coveney
*
* 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/
