Re: st: excel to stata / variable names shift to the value row

[Ron�n Conroy <rconroy@rcsi.ie>]

tapes wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've got such experience when importing data from
> excel to stata (directly copy or using insheet
> command): Sometimes stata can automatically recognize
> variable names from the excel file and leave them in
> variable name row of the stata, but sometimes it turns
> out that all the variable names shift to the value row
> of the stata. In fact, the variable names in both
> cases seem 'normal' and similar to each other. Any
> suggestions about how to ensure stata to keep variable
> names in the right place? Thank you very much. 
You can force -insheet- to read the first line of the incoming file as 
names, using the -names- option. I cannot figure out why, on some 
occasions, Stata treats the first row as data, but let's face it, it 
does a pretty good job at guessing whether there are names there or not. 
Safest thing is to give the -names- option explicitly unless you can 
vouch for Stata's behaviour in advance.

--

Ronan M Conroy (rconroy@rcsi.ie) 
Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics 
Royal College of Surgeons 
Dublin 2, Ireland 
+353 1 402 2431 (fax 2764) 
-------------------- 
Just say no to drug reps 
http://www.nofreelunch.org/

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