Re: st: Executing do-file yields no output

[George Mailbox <george.mailbox@gmail.com>]

Nick, Neil,

I used the command "do dofilename" and I expected the command window
and the log-file to display the commands, regression estimates and
post-estimation test results. However, they only display the commands
exactly the way they are in the do-file, each line preceded by ">",
yet no regression estimates and no post-estimation test results. It
looks like stata is just going through the commands but not executing
them. I tried including an error to test whether it spots it and it
did!

"dir" tells me that the do file and the data file are in the same directory.

The do-file (98KB) is structured as follows:

##############################

clear all

capture log close

set more off

version 10.1

use  filename.dta

log using filename.log, text replace

command1

command2

.
.
.

log close

set more off

exit
##############################

The only solution I could come up with would be stripping my do-file
of all comments and running it through the command window by copying
and pasting chunks. This defeats the purpose of a do-file though.

It's a puzzling problem I have been spending days researching online,
even my colleagues in the office hadn't seen Stata handling a do-file
in such a strange way.

George







2011/5/9 Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>:
> My apologies: it's the other way round. (Possibly insufficient
> caffeine on my part this morning.)
>
> If your do-file includes a -regress- command, you should see the
> results with -do-, but not with -run-.
>
>
> On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 12:11 PM, George Mailbox
> <george.mailbox@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Nick,
>>
>> Many thanks for getting back.
>>
>> You mentioned "do" is silent, with online sources suggesting "run"
>> suppresses the output, for instance:
>>
>> do filename [arguments] , [nostop]
>>    Executes the specified do-file.
>>    nostop allows to continue execution even if an error occurs.
>>    On-line, context: 1, 2
>>
>> run filename [arguments] , [nostop]
>>    Executes the specified do-file suppressing the output, except for erors.
>>    nostop allows to continue execution even if an error occurs.
>>    On-line, context
>>
>> (Source: http://web.missouri.edu/~kolenikovs/stata/Duke/commands.html#)
>>
>> Further, it appears that the terms "do" and "run" are often used
>> interchangeably as in "run a do file using the do command" which
>> complicates matters for beginners.
>>
>> My question thus boils down to:
>> How can I execute my do-file such that Stata displays the regression
>> estimates in the command window and the log-file?
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> George Hylden
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2011/5/9 Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>:
>>> This is precisely as intended. -do- rather than -run- is silent. What
>>> output would you expect from these commands if they work as intended,
>>> i.e. with generating error messages?
>>>
>>> Nick
>>>
>>> Please note the request to use real names on Statalist.
>>> http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/statalist.html#tojoin
>>>
>>> On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 10:18 AM, George Mailbox <george.mailbox@gmail.com>
>>>
>>>> When I execute a do file (i.e. do do-file as opposed to run do-file),
>>>> Stata (version 10.1) loads the data and runs through all commands
>>>> without detecting errors but only displays the do-file commands
>>>> preceded by ">", i.e. it does not display the results in the command
>>>> window and thus not in the log-file either. When I copy and paste the
>>>> commands into the command window, then Stata displays the results,
>>>> i.e. the code is correct.
>>>> I suspected some "suppress output" function was activated but I
>>>> haven't been able to find any such thing.
>>>>
>>>> The do-file is a self-written plain do-file, not code written in a program.
>>>> The procedural commands that precede the data manipulation commands
>>>> are standard by my reckoning:
>>>>
>>>> ##############################
>>>>
>>>> clear all
>>>>
>>>> capture log close
>>>>
>>>> set more off
>>>>
>>>> version 10.1
>>>>
>>>> use  filename.dta
>>>>
>>>> log using filename.log, text replace
>>>> ##############################
>>>>
>>>> I would be grateful for any advice or suggestions.
>
> *
> *   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/
>

*
*   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/