The problem is the comma, so you should type:
destring malespop, gen(MalesNum) ignore(",")
Hope this helps,
Maarten
--- Gauri Khanna wrote
> I am trying to convert a string variable(malespop) to a numeric
> variable. I tried to the following:
>
> -destring malespop, generate(MalesNum)-
> -destring malespop, replace
> -destring males, gen(MalesNum) ignore(" ")
>
> but with each of these I got the following error:
>
> - malespop contains non-numeric characters; no generate-
>
> I tried to use -mvencode- but that did not work too. I tried -gen
> MalesNum=real(malespop) but got missing values for all entries!
>
> My data looks like this and has blanks in between for no values:
>
> SNo. malespop
>
> 1. 45,623
> 2.
> 3. 67,345,119
> 4.
> 5.
> 6. 3406
> 7. 56,670,986
> 8.
-----------------------------------------
Maarten L. Buis
Department of Social Research Methodology
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Boelelaan 1081
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
visiting address:
Buitenveldertselaan 3 (Metropolitan), room Z434
+31 20 5986715
http://home.fsw.vu.nl/m.buis/
-----------------------------------------
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