Re: st: RE: substringing long, varying length text variables into individual variables

[Todd Wagner <twagner@stanford.edu>]

Yes, as Tom said, there are six of these text variables that I want 
to unpack.  But it is easy enough to create multiple temporary 
datasets.  Let me give the insheet a try and see if that works.

Todd

At 03:16 PM 4/2/2008, Tom Trikalinos wrote:

> it would do the trick if there are no other variables AFTER the
> current string ...
> if you have additional variables AFTER the current string then this
> would mess the vertical alignment (variable number of "|"-delimited
> substrings... ).
>
> but the post implies that this is not the case, and that this is one
> example of a set of similar variables...
> - or I may be wrong and tired - i had a long long day...
>
> t
>
> On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 5:57 PM, Raymond Guiteras <rpguiteras@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Shouldn't -- insheet using whatever.whatever, delimit("|") -- do the trick?
> >  Or am I missing something?
> >
> >  -----Original Message-----
> >  From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> >  [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Todd Wagner
> >  Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 4:48 PM
> >  To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> >  Subject: st: substringing long, varying length text variables into
> >  individual variables
> >
> >  Hi,
> >
> >  I have data from a publicly available database
> >  (clinicaltrials.gov).  This database has a number of text variables
> >  that I want to break into individual variables and I could use some help.
> >
> >  For example, one of the variables is called study designs.  Here are
> >  some data from the study designs variable
> >
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Double-Blind|Placebo Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Safety/Efficacy Study
> >  Prevention|Randomized|Open Label|Active Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Bio-equivalence Study
> >  Prevention|Randomized|Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator,
> >  Outcomes Assessor)|Crossover Assignment
> >  Randomized|Single Blind|Active Control|Parallel Assignment
> >  Natural History|Cross-Sectional|Case Control|Prospective Study
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Open Label|Active Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Efficacy Study
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Double-Blind|Placebo Control|Single Group
> >  Assignment|Safety/Efficacy Study
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Open Label|Placebo Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Safety/Efficacy Study
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Double-Blind|Active Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Safety/Efficacy Study
> >  Prevention|Randomized|Double-Blind|Placebo Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Safety/Efficacy Study
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Single Blind (Investigator)|Placebo
> >  Control|Parallel Assignment
> >  Treatment|Randomized|Open Label|Active Control|Parallel
> >  Assignment|Efficacy Study
> >
> >  What I want to do is parse this text using the "|" into 
> individual variables
> >
> >  So the first case would be
> >  des1            des2            des3            des4 
>         des5
> >  des6
> >  Treatment       Randomized      Double-Blind    Placebo Control
> >  Parallel
> >  Assignment      Safety/Efficacy Study
> >
> >  I can think of a brute force way where I save this variable and my id
> >  variable, change | to a comma, output as text, read the text into
> >  stata as a comma separated file, and then merge it back into my
> >  data.  Sounds silly, but perhaps it is the easiest.  Any other ideas?
> >
> >  Thanks,
> >
> >  Todd
> >
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