Dear Stata User Friends,
I have recently encountered a peculiar problem while trying to extract
fixed format data using a dictionary file. Any focus on the problem
will be welcome. The problem is as follows (I am putting things point
wise):
1. As stated above I am trying to extract some fixed format data from
a .txt file.
2. There were 16 "levels" (or 16 different "sets of questions"). So I
have to use 16 different dictionary files to extract the data relevant
for each level and drop all observations execpt for the level for
which the current dictionary file has been written (using keep if
level=="01" after using the dictionary file for level 1 and so on).
this gives me 16 .dta datasets each partaining to one "level".
3. now each data set has some number of variables which generally
start with a few identifiers and then some
actual data and then some more identifiers.
4. Now comes the problem. while writing the dictionary file I am
specifying the storage type of the identifiers as str#. then some of
the other variables have str# or numeric (byte, float etc) storage
format. ALong with this I am also
Specifying the %infmt as %#s or %#f accordingly. Where # is the
relevant integer which may be 1, 2, or any other integer. But the
PROBLEM is STATA is reading all the variables with a # in the %infmt
greater than or equal to 9. i.e for all the specifications (by me) %1
or 2 or ....8s or f Stata is reading them as %9s or f and sometimes
even as %9g. But for any # in %#s or f that I specified to be greater
than 9 Stata is reading it as I have written. Why is Stata defying the
instructions for #<9?
Any Help will be welcome
Thanking you
Krishanu
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