Re: st: Bug in comment - and comment on comment

[Ulrich Kohler <kohler@wzb.eu>]

Allan Reese (Cefas) wrote:
> Just found this in V10, so try it in other versions.  It's so blatant!
> 
> I have a long complex scatterplot command in a DO file, using /* */ to
> ignore line ends.  
> With the auto data, put this in a DO file.
> 
> scatter weight mpg [fw=price]  /* 
>    */ , ms(oh)
> di "here"
> 
> To see the graph with standard size markers, insert another
> start-comment
> 
> scatter weight mpg /* [fw=price]  /* 
>    */ , ms(oh)
> di "here"
> 
> And no output!  But /* inside /* */ should be ignored.  "What appears
> inside /* */ is ignored." (help comment).


Martin Weiss already answered this. However, regarding


> /* */ has another advantage I'd not noticed before.  When a command
> extends over several lines and you want to comment it out of the DO
> file, just add * to the first line and all following lines also start *
> so are comments.
> * scatter ... /*
> */ ... /*
>   */ etc 


note that this can be also with ///

scatter ... ///
        ... ///
        etc 


(Actually, /* */ has been the standard way to split commands over
several lines for many years. It has been superseded by /// with the
appearance of Stata 8.)

Many regards
Uli



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