Show us the result of
. describe month int_month
. tab month, missing
. tab int_month, missing
Nick
[email protected]
qing ye
I did transfer the month variable to interger variable with :
encode month, generate(int_month)
recast int int_month
and sort on int_month gives the same answer
destring does not work: see the following error message
. destring month, replace
month contains nonnumeric characters; no replace
. destring int_month, replace
int_month already numeric; no replace
2009/9/8 Nick Cox <[email protected]>:
> Your -month- is presumably a string variable. For strings, "10" < "2", as string sorts are by dictionary order.
>
> . d month
>
> will show you.
>
> If so, -destring month, replace-.
>
> A big and common misunderstanding is that changing the -format- changes the way data are held. -format- changes the way data are shown.
>
> Nick
> [email protected]
>
> qing ye
>
> I was trying to sort the dataset on one variable which indiates
> months of the year.
> strangly, month 10, 11 and 12 always comes ahead of month 2 and the
> other months, anybody know why?
>
> I have formated the variable to be integer, still does not work.
>
> companyan id month
> Bank of Bolton 20000 1
> Bank of Bolton 20000 10
> Bank of Bolton 20000 11
> Bank of Bolton 20000 12
> Bank of Bolton 20000 2
> Bank of Bolton 20000 3
> Bank of Bolton 20000 4
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