st: Temporary variables, ado files and subprograms

[Daniele Pacifico <danielepacifico@yahoo.it>]

Dear Stata users,

I am writing an ado file that - at a certain point - calls another ado file with 
a ML routine. Let's call these two files "ado1" and "ado2".

The file "ado1" performs some computations and creates many temporary variables. 

However, it is not an estimation command, it just creates a lot of variables and 
works with them to produce and display relevant results at the end..

The file "ado2" is called within "ado1" and performs a basic ML estimation whose 
results are then needed in "ado1"..

Ado2 should use the temporary variables created within "ado1" but - since they 
are "local" variables - Stata deletes all tof them when "ado2" is called.. Is 
there a way to keep these temporary variables in memory without necessarily 
using global macros?


Here is an example of what I mean:
In "ado1" I create 20 local variables that will be filled somehow during the 
program (before calling "ado2"):


*************
local times 20
forvalues s=1/`times'{
tempvar h`s'
}
gen double `h1'= something..
*************

Then "ado1" - at some point - launches "ado2":


*************
ml model lf ado2_lf (`varlist2'), maximize
*************


Where `varlist2' is another local macro that is created within ado1..
Ado2 contains (and should use) the temporary variables that are created within 
ado1:


*************in "ado2":****
forvalues s=2/`times'{
qui replace `lnf'=`lnf'+`h`s''
tempvar prob`s'
qui gen double `prob`s''=`lnf'+`h`s''
}
*************


However, neither `times' nor the various `h`s'' are defined in ado2.. Clearly, 
they don't exist and Stata does not read them in ado2.
Moreover, the temporary variables `prob`s'' that are created within ado2 are not 
exported back in ado1 when ado2 finishes to estimate the model..

So, is there a way to tell Stata to "exchange"/"not-delete"/"keep-in-memory" 
temporary variables from one subroutine (ado1) to another (ado2)? Of course, I 
could create global macros and hard-coded variables but I can't do it, as this 
could possibly reset caller’s macros..


Any tricks about it?

Thanks in advance,
Daniele Pacifico


      


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