I agree with Martin. Here's a quick stab at it.
*! 1.0.0 NJC 19 Nov 2008
program mencode
version 8
syntax varlist(string) [if] [in] , stub(str) [ label(str) ]
if index("`stub'", "@") == 0 {
di as err "stub must contain @"
exit 198
}
// test the variable names
foreach v of local varlist {
local new : subinstr local stub "@" "`v'"
confirm new var `new'
}
marksample touse, strok
qui count if `touse'
if r(N) == 0 error 2000
if "`label'" == "" local label "`: word 1 of `varlist''"
// do it
foreach v of local varlist {
local new : subinstr local stub "@" "`v'"
encode `v' if `touse', gen(`new') label(`label')
qui compress `new'
}
end
Comments:
-mencode- works on a string varlist.
You may specify -if- or -in-.
You must specify a -stub()-. The stub must include the character @,
which means the present varname. You should add a prefix or suffix or
both. So if your stub is "n@", the new variable names will be prefixed
by "n". -mencode- checks first that the new names implied will be OK.
You may specify a name for the new value labels. If you don't, -mencode-
will use the name of the first variable you specify.
Here's an example:
. l var?
+---------------------------+
| var1 var2 var3 var4 |
|---------------------------|
1. | a b c d |
2. | a b c d |
3. | a b c d |
4. | a b c d |
+---------------------------+
. mencode var?, stub(n@)
. l var? nvar?
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| var1 var2 var3 var4 nvar1 nvar2 nvar3 nvar4 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
1. | a b c d a b c d |
2. | a b c d a b c d |
3. | a b c d a b c d |
4. | a b c d a b c d |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
. l var? nvar?, nola
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| var1 var2 var3 var4 nvar1 nvar2 nvar3 nvar4 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
1. | a b c d 1 2 3 4 |
2. | a b c d 1 2 3 4 |
3. | a b c d 1 2 3 4 |
4. | a b c d 1 2 3 4 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
Martin Weiss
Nick`s contribution makes me think that it is possible to automate this
in
the fashion that you describe...
moleps islon
> So apparently no easy solution to this. The perfect solution would be
> a command that accepted a varlist, automatically generated new
> variables concatenating the old variablename with a userspecified
> _name_ and labeled the values according to a predefined labelset...
> That would also let the user set the startnumber for the codes...
> Gotta learn programming:-)
>
>>>> _______________________
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "moleps islon"
<[email protected]>
>>>> To: <[email protected]>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 8:30 PM
>>>> Subject: st: -encode- help..
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I've got 30 different text variables that all have the same
possible
>>>>> values. Is there an easy way to encode all 30 variables using the
same
>>>>> label or do I have to do it manually. Also is it possible,
somehow, to
>>>>> specify stata to start encoding with tha value 0 instead of 1 ?
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