st: Re: How to get a list of the names of characters associated with a variable

["Clyde Schechter" <clyde.schechter@einstein.yu.edu>]

Thanks to the many people who replied to my inquiry, including Nick Cox,
Eric Booth, and Jeph Herrin.  I think Austin Nichols' reply most directly
filled my need.  I'm especially grateful for the warning about the use of
index() leading to evaluation and truncation of strings: that would have
bit me.

While I was aware of the macro extended function :char, I didn't realize
that when specified without the name of a characteristic it returned a
list of available characteristics.  I do see, on a more careful reading
than I first gave it, that an example of that is in the help file. 
Somehow I missed that.

My apologies again to the list for the confusion I set up by referring to
characters when I meant characteristics.

Finally, FWIW, I think the suggestion of somehow merging -lookfor- and
-ds- that arose in the ensuing thread is a good one.

A good weekend to all!

Clyde Schechter, MA MD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY, USA


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