Re: st: Complex Stata Code Examples

[Mayank Mishra <mayankm16@gmail.com>]

Hello all,

I have been just briefed about my job and for the starters it involves
data management through Stata. So, should I read the Data Management
manual as well. Please share if you have some other tips or resources
to look into.

Thanks

Mayank

On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 1:24 PM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> On the contrary, a knowledge of any modern programming language will
> have introduced you to many concepts found in Stata, and more
> obviously in Mata.
>
> Start with reading [U] thoroughly. Then look at Kit Baum's book
> http://www.stata.com/bookstore/isp.html
>
> Nick
>
> P.S. see also http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/statalist.html#spell
>
> On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 8:41 AM, Mayank Mishra <mayankm16@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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.
> *
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> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
>

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