st: cut string variables

["susanne neckermann" <susialfi@hotmail.com>]

Hello,
I cannot open a data set in my intercooled Stata version because one of the 
variables is a string with 102 characters and intercooled Stata only allows 
for 80.
I can open the data set at a friend's computer who has the full version of 
stata. But we have not found out, what the command is to cut the length of 
this particular string. so that we can change the data set and I can work 
with it on my computer.
It would be o.k., if only the first 50 characters or so remain.

Can you help?
Thank you very much.
Greetings from Switzerland,
Susanne


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