ds , has(type string)
On Mon, 6 Oct 2008, Jacob Wegelin wrote:
:I would like to check for type of variable (string, numeric, etc) in a program,
:and then take action on the basis of the type. For instance, if it's string, I
:encode it; else I leave it as is.
:
:The following klugey program seems to solve the problem *part of the time*. But
:certainly there is a more elegant way?
:
:capture program drop checkIfString
:program define checkIfString, rclass
: di "check if `1' is string or numeric"
: quietly tabulate `1'
: local NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric=r(N)
: quietly summarize `1'
: local NobsOnlyIfNumeric=r(N)
: di "NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric: `NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric'
:and NobsOnlyIfNumeric: `NobsOnlyIfNumeric'"
:
: if (`NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric'>0) & (
:`NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric' == `NobsOnlyIfNumeric' ) {
: return local type="numeric"
: }
:
: else {
:
: if (`NobsRegardlessOfStringOrNumeric'>0) & (
:`NobsOnlyIfNumeric'==0 ) {
: return local type="string"
: }
:
: else {
: return local type="not sure"
: }
:
: }
:end
:
:clear
:set obs 5
:gen x=_n
:gen y="a"
:gen z=.
:gen w=""
:
:list
:
:checkIfString x
:return list
:checkIfString y
:return list
:checkIfString z
:return list
:checkIfString w
:return list
:
:
:This seems like a FAQ but I haven't found the answer yet on the Web.
:
:Thanks for any tips
:
:Jake
:
:Jacob A. Wegelin
:[email protected] Assistant Professor
:Department of Biostatistics
:Virginia Commonwealth University
:730 East Broad Street Room 3006
:P. O. Box 980032
:Richmond VA 23298-0032
:U.S.A. http://www.people.vcu.edu/~jwegelin
:*
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:
Caleb Southworth
Associate Professor
University of Oregon Sociology
*
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