Re: st: AW: float to numeric??

["Özlen D. Luznar" <ozlend1@umbc.edu>]

Hi Martin,

I am really confused.  I have been a stata user for some time but clearly
I am not as strong as many of you.

Please do tell, why??  this chip elig rate simply is an eligibility rate
at the state level-- can be between 10% and 400% of the FPL hence-- .1 to
4 varying values.  I do not neet a complicated definition. or 9 decimals
etc.

Please help me what I can do to make this variable more user friendly. 
All I need is 2 decimals.  As I think some states have eligibility of 185
% or 17% etc.

I also do not understand why float function as some recommended below does
not work.  Without the float. the calculation:

replace eligstatus = 1 if chipeligrate ==1.92 & (povcat == 1 | povcat == 2)
replace eligstatus = 2 if chipeligrate ==1.92 & (povcat == 3)
replace eligstatus = 3 if chipeligrate ==1.92 & (povcat == 4)

will work for instance for values where povcat == 3 or povcat == 4 but
will NOT work for obs. where povcat == 1 | 2?? returning missing values
for those obs. for the eligstatus variable.  I have no explanation for
that.  If the value is stored as float, shouldn't the calculation NOT work
for all values??

I am still confused.  I aprpeciate all your help with this.

Thank you.

>
> <>
>
>
> BTW, Özlen, the major distinction in Stata is between "numeric" and
> "string"
> variables. Within "numeric", you have data types such as integer or float.
> The "range" returned by -codebook- for your "chipeligrate" variable
> indicates that one of its values, the minimum, is "0.1", which cannot be
> held as integer:
>
> ***
> clear*
> inp myvar
> 0.1
> end
> d
> recast int myvar
> ***
>
> If you -force- it via - recast int myvar, force-, the former "0.1" will
> become "0". Probably not what you want...
>
>
> HTH
> Martin
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] Im Auftrag von Özlen D.
> Luznar
> Gesendet: Montag, 21. Juni 2010 04:43
> An: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> Betreff: st: float to numeric??
>
> Hi everyone,
>
>
>  I have a variable stored as float chip eligibility rate variable.  very
> straightforward - varies between .1 and 4.  But it is stored as float and
> gives me major toruble when I am using the values to generate new
> variables etc.  I would like to store it as numeric so that stata can
> recognize the values of this variable.  Does anyone have experience with
> this??
> . codebook chipeligrate
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> chipeligrate                   chip eligibility rate by year and age and
> state
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
>                   type:  numeric (float)
>
>                  range:  [.1,4]                       units:  .01
>          unique values:  40                       missing .:  0/6585
>
>                   mean:   1.92923
>               std. dev:   .720279
>
>            percentiles:        10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
>                                  1       1.5         2         2         3
>
> I need to chnage this variable and store is as int but I can not figure
> out how. So far I tried compress but it seemed to work but when I
> described the variable, still float.
>
>  Thanks so much for your help in advance.
>
> --
> Özlen D. Luznar
> PhD Candidate - Public Policy
> Graduate Research Assistant
> University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
> 1000 Hilltop Circle
> Baltimore, MD 21250
> 410-455-6527 office
> 443-846-5010 cell
>
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>
>
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>
>


-- 
Özlen D. Luznar
PhD Candidate - Public Policy
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
410-455-6527 office
443-846-5010 cell

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/