Re: st: RE: extract portion of variable name to use in variable label

[Andy Baxter <andrew.baxter@cms.k12.nc.us>]

Thanks very much to Nick and Martin.  Problem solved.



Nick Cox wrote:
> foreach v of var * { 
> 	local last = substr("`v'", -2, 2) 
> 	local last = cond("`last'" == "al", "Achievement Level",
> "Scalescore") 
> 	local first = substr("`v'", 3, .) 
> 	local first = substr("`first'", 1, strpos("`first'", "_") - 1) 
> 	label var `v' "`first' `last'" 
> } 
> -----Original Message-----
> Andy Baxter
>
> I have a large data set in which the variable names reflect the subject 
> and metric of a specific test, e.g., a_alg1_ss is the "Algebra 1 Scale 
> Score."
> All of the variable names have a common structure:  a prefix of a_, a 
> test identifier string, and a suffix of _[metric of test, e.g., al for 
> achievement level or ss for scale score].
> The current variable labels reflect the test metric, but not the test 
> identifier.
>
> Here is a subset of the variables:
>
> . describe  a_alg1_ss   a_alg1_al a_alg1rt1_ss   a_alg1rt1_al
>
>               storage  display     value
> variable name   type   format      label      variable label
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------
> a_alg1_ss       int    %8.0g                   Scalescore
> a_alg1_al       byte   %8.0g                   Achievement Level
> a_alg1rt1_ss    int    %8.0g                   Scalescore
> a_alg1rt1_al    byte   %8.0g                   Achievement Level
>
> I am trying to write syntax that will extract the test identifier from 
> the variable name and insert it into the variable label.  I would like 
> to wind up with:
>
> variable name                     variable label
> a_alg1_ss                           alg1 Scalescore
> a_alg1_al                           alg1 Achievement Level
> a_alg1rt1_ss                       alg1rt Scalescore
> a_alg1rt1_al                        alg1rt Achievement Level
>
> My Stata version is:
>  .about
> Stata/SE 9.2 for Windows
> Born 20 Jul 2007
>
>
> *
> *   For searches and help try:
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
>
>
>   

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to public records requests  pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Law, resulting in monitoring and potential disclosure of this message to third parties.

In compliance with federal law, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administers all education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/