Thanks a Mil Austin. I think I would go with the latter option as the
project is time sensitive. As I start the process, I have one question:
What do you mean by numeric missings? I just want to make sure I
understand everything before I start. Thanks so much,
-Prash.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Austin
Nichols
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 11:32 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: st: Field Widths and Delimiters
Prashant Shukla <[email protected]>:
The -file- command can write whatever you want it to, assuming you are
willing to learn how to use it (the -outfixt- code on SSC is one
example, not too long to read through). Another way to go is to turn
every variable into a string variable of the right length (help
tostring), with the format and justification you prefer, replacing
numeric missings with spaces as appropriate, then append the single
character "|" to the end of each (except the last var in the list),
and then use -outfile- with the option -runtogether- to write your
file.
On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Prashant Shukla
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Some time back, I had used -outfixt- by Austin Nichols to perfectly
> export fixed width files as txt.
>
> Now, I don't need to export my data set as a fixed width file but it
> needs to be "|" (pipe) delimited and the blank fields, if formatted as
> %10s need to be 10 in length. In addition, if a field is formatted as
10
> spaces long and only 8 of the designated spaces are being used, it
still
> needs to be exported with 10 as its width.
>
> While getting the file to be pipe delimited is not a problem, I am
> struggling to keep the designated widths of the field in the txt
> exports. Stata reduces the width of a field: a field formatted %10S
only
> occupies 8 spaces in the txt file if that's how long the elements of
the
> field are. But I need it to be 10 in length, which is when -outfixt-
> came to mind. But, -outfixt- does not have a delimited option
available.
> Is there a way to use -outfixt- with a delimited or any other way in
> Stata to keep the length of fields in txt exports as you specified and
> formatted in Stata? Please provide some insight.
>
> Lastly, the blank fields are populated by dots. Is there a way to make
> the blank fields be populated by a space? One space when the field is
1
> in length and 5 when it is 5. Thanks so much in advance everyone.
>
> -Prash.
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