st: Simplification of mata syntax to determine CI possible?

[Dirk Enzmann <dirk.enzmann@uni-hamburg.de>]

I would like to know whether it is possible to simplify the syntax / 
computations of the following mata syntax:

The syntax calculates likelihood based confidence intervals of a 
binomial parameter given sample size n, successes x and confidence level 
ci (I hope the lines will not get broken in the mail):

* ---- start ---------
mata:
void propci(real scalar x, real scalar n, real scalar ci)
{
  real rowvector pp
  real scalar k
  real rowvector lik
  real scalar ci_l
  real scalar ci_u
  real scalar i
  pp = range(0.000001,0.999999,1/99999)
  k = exp(1)^(-invchi2(1, ci/100)/2)
  lik = binomialp(n,x,pp)
  lik = lik/max(lik)
  ci_l = .
  ci_u = 0
  for (i=1; i <= 100000; i++) {
    if (lik[i,1] > k & ci_l == .) {
      ci_l = pp[i,1]
    }
    else if (lik[i,1] > k & ci_u < pp[i,1]) {
      ci_u = pp[i,1]
    }
    else if (ci_u > 0 & lik[i,1] < k) {
      i = 100000
    }
  }
  st_numscalar("r(ci_l)", ci_l)
  st_numscalar("r(ci_u)", ci_u)
}
end
* ---- end -----------

The 13 lines between -lik = lik/max(lik)- and -st_numscalar("r(ci_l)", 
ci_l)- (exclusive) can be (re)written in R using only one line of commands:

# --- start R snippet -------

conf.int=range(pp[lik > k])

# --- end R snippet ------

I wonder whether something similar is possible using mata.

========================================
Dirk Enzmann
email: dirk.enzmann@uni-hamburg.de
========================================
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