Re: st: Replacing grouped string values with longest string value in the group

["McDermaid, Cameron" <Cameron.McDermaid@ottawa.ca>]

Thanks to Nick and Maarten for the solution to my problem and thanks to Nick for the learning references!

- cam

--
Cameron McDermaid MHSc
Epidemiologist
Ottawa Public Health
100 Constellation Cr, Ottawa ON K2G 6J8
vox: 613.580.6744x15321
fax: 613.580.9601

All models are wrong, some models are useful - George Box 



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Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:36:16 +0100
From: Nick Cox <n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk>
Subject: st: RE: Replacing grouped string values with longest string value in the group

No loop is needed. 

gen length = length(Symptom)
bysort slike (length) : replace symptom = symptom[_N] 

For a tutorial on -by:- see 

SJ-2-1  pr0004  . . . . . . . . . . Speaking Stata:  How to move step by: step
        Q1/02   SJ 2(1):86--102                                  (no commands)
        explains the use of the by varlist : construct to tackle
        a variety of problems with group structure, ranging from
        simple calculations for each of several groups to more
        advanced manipulations that use the built-in _n and _N

Your loop is failing because of a confusion between -if- command and -if- qualifier. -if- as you are using it looks only at the first observation and in no will sense loop as you would wish. 

See

FAQ     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  if command vs. if qualifier
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  J. Wernow
        6/00    I have an if or while command in my program that
                only seems to evaluate the first observation,
                what's going on?
                http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/lang/ifqualifier.html

In addition, your -foreach- loop is just a loop over one value. 

But there is no need to fix your loop as the code above can be used. 


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

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