st: How to apply a command to numeric variables only

["Paul O'Brien" <paul.obrien@afe2.org.uk>]

I want to do a foreach command to convert numeric variables to string before a merge. Only some of the variables are numeric and which ones varies with each database.

foreach var of varlist srhcareactivity1-srhcareactivity6{
	decode `var', generate(string)
	drop `var'
	rename string `var'
}

Error message: not possible with string variable. 

I have tried using capture to ignore the error.

How can I restrict the command to numeric variables only?

By the way, is there a way to keep the variable label which is lost when I use generate.

Thanks,

Paul










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