st: RE: reshape command ---listing all the variables changing over time?

["Nick Cox" <n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk>]

In addition to other replies

findname, all(@ == @[1]) 

finds all variables which are constant; adding its -not- option finds
the complement. You can specify a varlist too to separate constant and
changing variables. The syntax catches numeric and string variables
alike. 

-findname- is a user-written program from SSC. 

Nick 
n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk 

Amanda Fu

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a problem I met when
using --reshape--command.

When I tried to reshape a data set from long version to wide version,
I find I  need to list all the variables that are not constant in the
--reshape--command. Suppose the data set has 1500 variables changing
over time and 100 constant variables.
------------------------------------------------------------
. reshape wide x1-x1500, i(id) j(wave)
------------------------------------------------------------
If I miss any of the variables changing over time, the reshape command
will give error message such as "variable XXXX not constant " and will
stop working.  But it is so frustrating to separate the constant
variables and not-constant variables and list all of the latter ones
in the reshape command.

What I used to do is just to drop all the unnecessary variables from
the data set before reshape to reduce the work load here.

May I know if there is any more efficient way to deal with this problem?


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