tempvar, tempname, and tempfile exist while the program or do file is
running, but are dropped once the it ends. In this case, the -save
file1d.dta- is part of do file so the temporary variables are saved.
[P] macro, page 191, has a discussion of the advantages of temporary
variables.
This could be reduced to 3-lines:
use file.dta,clear
bysort com: keep if _n == 1
save file1.dta, replace
Hope this helps,
Scott
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:owner-
> [email protected]] On Behalf Of Jian Zhang
> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 7:36 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: st: a question about tempvar
>
> Dear Jean-Benoit and Stata Users,
>
> Thanks. It really helps.
>
> But I just have one concern. If we have to add drop `temxxx', what is the
> point of using command
> tempvar? It seems that we could just use the following commands to do
> the same thing:
>
> use file.dta, clear
>
> sort eid
> by eid: gen temxxx=_n
> drop if temxxx!=1
>
> drop temxxx
>
> sort eid
>
> save file1.dta, replace
>
> It seems to me that this way is simpler than using command tempvar since
> this do file has one line less than using command tempvar. Any reasons or
> motivations for using tempvar rather than creating a actual new variable?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jian Zhang
>
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