st: re: functions in Stata

[Kit Baum <Baum@bc.edu>]

< >
Sergiy said

Observation 1: some Stata commands return functions, e.g. -regress-
returns e(sample)

Observation 2: it is possible to get a list of defined functions by
reading extended macro function:

  sysuse auto
  regress p w
  display `"`:e(functions)'"'

Observation 3: none of the official .ado files eshibits this feature

Observation 4: none of the user commands that I've seen uses this  
feature.

If there is any new information available now, that was not available
in 2003 I would be glad to hear that.

Why do I need to know this? I am writing a command that automatically
processes the results saved in r() e() s() and at the very least I
need to know whether any user-defined command could, can or will be
able to save anything in the "functions" section.



As far as I can see there is no provision for a user-written r-class  
ado file to return a function. An e-class ado-file can return  
e(sample) using ereturn post, but it does not appear that it can  
return any other function.


Kit Baum, Boston College Economics and DIW Berlin
http://ideas.repec.org/e/pba1.html
An Introduction to Modern Econometrics Using Stata:
http://www.stata-press.com/books/imeus.html


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