Re: st: Some basic help on programming

[Friedrich Huebler <fhuebler@gmail.com>]

Prakash,

As Nick wrote, your references to "level" are incorrect. For example, this line:

  if level==3 | level==5 {

should be:

  if `l'==3 | `l'==5 {

Friedrich

On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 2:02 PM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sorry, but that doesn't make it easier for me to comment helpfully. My
> guess is that your code from the outset won't actually do anything
> like what you want to do, even if it is legal as far as Stata is
> concerned.
>
> As I said, your code opens with a loop over values 3/9 but you use the
> name -level- to refer to the possibilities. But
>
> 1. That will only work if -level- is a name of an existing variable or
> scalar, or the abbreviation thereof. But if -level- is a variable,
> such code is almost always not going to do to what the author intends.
> See
>
> http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/lang/ifqualifier.html
>
> for an explanation showing that (e.g.)
>
> if level==3 | level==5 {
>
> will mean
>
> if level[1] == 3 | level[1] == 5 {
>
> if -level- is a variable. Also if -level- is a scalar, then where is
> it defined?
>
> 2. You don't address my earlier point that you are looping with a
> macro named -l- but use -level- to refer to the values 3/9. That
> doesn't seem to hang together.
>
> Nick
>
> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 6:04 PM, Prakash Singh <prakashbhu@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Nick, I am able to run the code till - save "level`l'data.dta",replace
>> - successfully but for remaining for remaining part of the code it
>> either says invalid syntax or data not found.
>>
>> Please have look on code lines after - save "level`l'data.dta",replace.
>>
>>
>> Prakash
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 8:12 PM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Posting a chunk of code and giving no details of precisely what errors
>>> you are getting is not strongly recommended. But a wild guess is this:
>>>
>>> Your branches like
>>>
>>> if level==3 | level==5 {
>>> }
>>> if level==4| level ==6| level==7 {
>>> }
>>> if level==8 {
>>> }
>>> if level==9 {
>>>  }
>>>
>>> make reference to -level- but what do you think it is? From the outer
>>> loop I suspect that
>>>
>>> level
>>>
>>> should in each case be
>>>
>>> `l'
>>>
>>> Nick
>>>
>>> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 1:23 PM, Prakash Singh <prakashbhu@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Friedrich,
>>>> I know that there is some thing worng with my code. when I am merging
>>>> the level data ie last part of the code but what ever changes I have
>>>> tried some or the other error is coming.
>>>>
>>>> Here is the code
>>>>
>>>> local levels "3 4 5 6 7 8 9"
>>>> foreach l of local levels {
>>>>  use "level`l'_list.dta", clear
>>>>  if level==3 | level==5 {
>>>>  local vars "item_code asicc_code unit_quantity quantity value"
>>>>  }
>>>>  if level==4| level ==6| level==7 {
>>>>  local vars "item_code value"
>>>>  }
>>>>  if level==8 {
>>>>  local vars "item_code value_ownd_assets value_hired_assets
>>>> addition_ownd_assets sign rent_payable"
>>>>  }
>>>>  if level==9 {
>>>>  local vars "item_code loan_outs int_payable"
>>>>  }
>>>>  levelsof item_code, local(items)
>>>>  foreach i of local items {
>>>>   preserve
>>>>   keep if item_code==`i'
>>>>   foreach var of varlist `vars' {
>>>>     ren `var' `var'_`i'
>>>>   }
>>>>   sort common_id
>>>>   save "item`i'.dta", replace
>>>>   restore
>>>>  }
>>>>  contract common_id
>>>>  drop _freq
>>>>  foreach i of local items {
>>>>   merge common_id using "item`i'.dta"
>>>>   drop _merge
>>>>   sort common_id
>>>>  }
>>>> save "level`l'data.dta",replace
>>>> }
>>>> contract common_id
>>>>  drop _freq
>>>>  foreach l of local levels {
>>>>   merge common_id using "level`l'data.dta"
>>>>   drop _merge
>>>>   sort common_id
>>>>  }
>>>> save "level3_9data.dta",replace

*
*   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/