st: Complex Stata Code Examples

[Mayank Mishra <mayankm16@gmail.com>]

Hello,

Thanks for you inputs. I want to let you know that I started a bit of
STATA programming which essentially involves very basic coding for
cleaning the data and a bit of recursions. Frankly speaking, I believe
my JAVA knowledge is of no use for STATA programming. So, I request
you to please suggest me as to how should I learn coding in STATA from
scratch.

Thanks a lot.
Mayank

On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 9:29 PM, Stas Kolenikov <skolenik@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 10:37 AM, Mayank Mishra <mayankm16@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I need to learn Stata programming proficiently, for an upcoming task.
>> I am an economist with a little bit of coding experience in JAVA. My
>> idea of learning programming is to have a problem statement and
>> learning while solving that problem. So, I request you to please
>> suggest some source or anything where I can get a little bit complex
>> problem statement, along with its do file, so that I can check my
>> progress.
>
> From proficient programming viewpoint, your request is poorly formed.
>
> There are many dimensions to "Stata programming":
> 1. Stata data management, as in: merging files, creating new
> variables, data cleaning, with all sorts of -by- and _n referencing
> 2. Stata project management, as in: creating labels, chars, checksums, etc
> 3. Statistical estimation and e-class programs, may be -ml- based or
> -gmm- based.
> 4. Matrix manipulations in Mata.
> 5. Optimization using Mata -optimize()- or -moptimize()-.
> 6. Class programming in Stata or Mata (this would be dear to your
> Java-based heart)
> 7. Software maintenance, with all sorts of -assert-s.
> 8. Simulations, with all sorts of -post-s.
> 9. Text file manipulation (e.g., managing SSC archives using Stata,
> although Java is arguably better suited for that).
> 10. Development of new graphic tools.
> 11. C++ plugin development for ultra-speedy computation.
> ...
> 99. yada, yada, yada
>
> Of course peeking at other folks' code is one of the best ways to
> learn. Peeking at official Stata code has its pros and cons: there are
> very efficient Stata tricks scattered in the official code (including
> many that ensure version compatibility and other aspects of code
> stability), but there are also undocumented commands and features, as
> well as internal dependencies that you may need a whole drawing board
> to figure out. Learning from third-party user's code is easier, as
> non-Stata Corp programmers tend to rely on official documented Stata,
> and use more straightforward constructs.
>
> One thing you can do is to go back into archives of statalist for
> about a month, see some requests posted, and try to come up with your
> own solution. And then look for what Maarten Buis or Nick Cox or Bill
> Gould or Austin Nichols or Steven Samuels had suggested.
>
> --
> Stas Kolenikov, also found at http://stas.kolenikov.name
> Small print: I use this email account for mailing lists only.
> *
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>

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