Re: st: text file line-end characters in mixed linux /os X / windows environments

[Phil Schumm <pschumm@uchicago.edu>]

On Dec 31, 2010, at 5:01 PM, Kevin Geraghty wrote:
> The issue is when jobs are run on linux or os X hosts, the text log  
> files use the unix line-end conventions which is just an ASCII line  
> feed as opposed to an ASCII carriage return-line feed pair which is  
> what windows expects. People opening these files from windows  
> machines using standard windows text editor programs see everything  
> on one line.
On Jan 1, 2011, at 4:39 AM, Nick Cox wrote:
> How does the Viewer in Windows Stata work with logs generated on  
> other platforms?

I believe Stata's Viewer transparently handles files of all 3 flavors  
(<lf>,<cr> and <cr-lf>) on all platforms (this is certainly the case  
for <lf> and <cf-lf> under Windows and OS X).  Since the Viewer is  
capable of handling large files, and since it provides some coloring  
for SMCL logs (e.g., input, errors, results, etc.), this is one of  
your best strategies for viewing Stata logs in an environment that  
includes both Windows and Unix/Linux/OS X machines.

> How does Stata's do-file editor -doedit- work?

Stata's do-file editor also appears to handle line-endings  
transparently -- that is, under Windows it will open a do-file with  
<lf> endings, and under OS X it will open a file with <cr-lf> endings  
(I presume the same is true under Linux).  Unfortunately however,  
editing the file under these circumstances then results in a file with  
mixed line endings (i.e., both <lf> and <cf-lf>), and this can cause  
problems in other circumstances (IMHO, Stata's do-file editor should  
not do this, but should use the native line endings of the file being  
edited, perhaps also offering an option to convert all line endings in  
the file to those of the current platform).
Since log files can grow fairly large, and since some text editors  
aren't very efficient with large files, I would definitely suggest  
using Stata's Viewer for viewing log files -- especially if they are  
in SMCL format.  However, if you want to edit them and/or collaborate  
in writing do-files, then your best bet is to install a good text  
editor on the Windows machines (there have been several suggestions  
for specific editors made on this list in the past).

-- Phil

*
*   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/