st: reshape long does not recognize negative date values

["M. Douglas Berg" <eco_mdb@shsu.edu>]

Hello,
I have a comma seperated (csv) file with quarterly data on variable p. 
The column headings are of the form  p0, p1, etc for 1960q1, 1960q2. For 
periods prior to 1960 I labelled the columns p-1, p-2, etc for 1959q4, 
1959q3.
I use the command :

   insheet using qp.csv

to input the data into Stata.

Then I  do the following:
   reshape long p,  i(permno) j(qtime)
   format qtime %tq

Stata then creates variable v1, v2, v3, .... for all of the dates prior 
to 1960q1.

How should I specify the dates in the csv file so that Stata picks them 
up correctly?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.





*
*   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/