st: Re: repeat do-file over multiple files

["Allan Stubbe" <science@allanstubbe.dk>]

Thanks for the outline Stas Kolenikov

It helped but I cant make it run without errors.

When run as it is the following error occur:
 . do "C:\Users\Stubbe\AppData\Local\Temp\STD00000000.tmp"
 . clear
 . tempfile current
 . save "`current'"
 no variables defined
 r(111);
 end of do-file
 r(111);
 .


If the the following line "use "00321.dta", clear" are put in, it will run 
with no errors but end up with both the new data and the original dataset 
from "00321.dta".
 clear
 tempfile current
 use "00321.dta", clear
 save "`current'"
 local allsrcfiles : dir . files "*.dta"
 foreach ff in `allsrcfiles' {
   do ProcessOneFile.do `"`ff'"'
   append using `current'
   save `current', replace
 }
 exit

Offcourse I can just delete the original dataset and save the new dataset 
manually but I would love to learn what I have done wrong.
The problem seems to be with my handling of the "current" command.
Im new to macros etc. so I might make a stupid mistake?
I would love to be better at working with Stata so any help are very 
appreaciated.

Thanks
Allan Stubbe



-----Oprindelig meddelelse----- 
From: Stas Kolenikov
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 11:07 PM
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: Re: st: repeat do-file over multiple files

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 2:19 PM, science <science@allanstubbe.dk> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I have 256 dta-files in a folder.
> The same do-file should be run on all 256 files and saved as 256 new 
> files.
> And lastly the 256 new files should be combined using append to one file.
>
> My question is if that is possible and how it should be done?
>
> Maybe the results from each of the 256 files can be stored in memory and
> just saved as 1 file.

How comfortable are you using local macros? You should be, as they are
essential for this job.

clear
tempfile current
save `current'
local allsrcfiles : dir . files "*.dta"
foreach ff in `allsrcfiles' {
 do ProcessOneFile.do `"`ff'"'
 append using `current'
 save `current', replace
}
exit

where ProcessOneFile.do has the structure

clear
capture use `"`1'"'
if _rc exit
generate ...
regress ...
collapse ...
save `"Processed_`1'"', replace
exit
* leave the data in memory without saving anything

This is an outline, it might be breaking down in some weak spots, such
as spaces in filenames (although I don't think it will), but it should
give you a reasonable starting point.

--
Stas Kolenikov, also found at http://stas.kolenikov.name
Small print: I use this email account for mailing lists only.
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