Re: st: Re: destringing

[Suzy <scott_788@wowway.com>]

Dear Scott - Your advice works!...I completely forgot about the 
quotations required for string variables...I use them all the time to 
create titles and labels. But frankly, I've never encountered string 
variables since using Stata.

Since these 11 variables were created as string varibales - I can do it 
your way now for all the datapoints within the variable  (numeric and 
alpha-numeric and dashes) as long as I've enclosed the value within 
quotations. This is clear to me My follow-up question  is this:  
Since the majority of the datapoints are actually numeric rather than 
alpha-numeric...is there a way for me to modify the 11 variable (dxcodes 
and procodes) from string to numeric  and then modify the alpha-numeric 
datapoints within that variable to be read as either a string or numeric 
(I don't care which as long as it can be read)... and as the other 
gentlemen had stated - it's probably best to retain the code as is 
rather than drop the dashes and alphabets.

Thanks so much for a simple and overlooked solution!
Regards,
Suzy

Scott Merryman wrote:


> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-
> > statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Suzy
> > Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 10:30 AM
> > To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> > Subject: Re: st: Re: destringing
> >    
> <snip>
>
>  
>
> > But then , trying to analyze anything with  the dxcode or procode
> > variable name returned this type of output:
> >
> > . tab dxcode1 if dxcode1==V3000
> > V3000 not found
> > r(111);
> >
> > I also tried this:
> >
> > tab dxcode1 if dxcode1==v3000
> > v3000 not found
> > r(111);
> >
> > And this....
> >
> > tab dxcode1 if dxcode1==27500  (just numeric)
> > type mismatch
> > r(109);
> >
> > That's why I then went ahead and used the destring (and force)
> > option...which  made the dash and alpha-numerics disappear as missing
> > datapoints - but did allow me to read the pure numeric numbers under
> > these variable names.
> >
> >    
> Since dxcode1 is a string variable the value following the if qualifier must
> be enclosed in quotes
>
> - tab dxcode1 if dxcode1=="V3000" -
>
> Or if the codes are in lower case:
>
> - tab dxcode1 if dxcode1=="v3000" -
>
> In Stata, capitalization matters V3000 and v3000 would be treated as
> different values.
>
>
> Scott
>  
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