Re: st: How to apply a command to numeric variables only

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

This line, however, is wrong:

  label var `var `varlabel'

Should be

  label var `var'  "`varlabel'"

Nick

On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 11:00 AM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> You are reporting problems but not the exact commands you tried. I
> could try guessing what you did wrong, and whether it is my fault or
> yours, but it is really is much better if you show your code.
>
> Nick
>
> On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 10:55 AM, paul o'brien <paul.obrien@afe2.org.uk> wrote:
>> Thanks NIck,
>>
>> I encounter a problem with each of these suggestions:
>>
>> With ds and findname I get: srhcareactivity4 not labeled
>>
>> With -capture- inside the loop I get: variable string not found
>>
>> On keeping the label I get: unrecognized command:      local invalid =
>> command name
>>
>> Can you help?
>>
>> Thanks for all your very useful advice on the List.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>> On 29/05/2012, Paul O'Brien <paul.obrien@afe2.org.uk> wrote:
>>> Thanks NIck,
>>>
>>> I encounter a problem with each of these suggestions:
>>>
>>> With ds and findname I get: srhcareactivity4 not labeled
>>>
>>> With -capture- inside the loop is get: variable string not found
>>>
>>> On keeping the label I get: unrecognized command:      local invalid command
>>> name
>>>
>>> Is there a tweak we are missing?
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>> On 29 May 2012, at 08:27, Nick Cox wrote:
>>>
>>>> Similar questions arise often on this list. In your case one solution
>>>> is to -destring- the string variables before the loop, but then the
>>>> loop will convert back, so that does not appeal.
>>>>
>>>> Another is to select numeric variables beforehand. -ds- will do this
>>>>
>>>> ds srhcareactivity1-srhcareactivity6 , has(type numeric)
>>>>
>>>> foreach var in `r(varlist)' {
>>>>
>>>> -findname- (SJ) can do more than -ds- (fact) and has a better syntax
>>>> (opinion), but its use is very similar here.
>>>>
>>>> findname srhcareactivity1-srhcareactivity6 , type(numeric)
>>>>
>>>> foreach var in `r(varlist)' {
>>>>
>>>> Another way is to use -capture- inside the loop.
>>>>
>>>> foreach var of varlist srhcareactivity1-srhcareactivity6{
>>>>     capture decode `var', generate(string)
>>>>     if _rc == 0 {
>>>>             drop `var'
>>>>             rename string `var'
>>>>      }
>>>> }
>>>>
>>>> Is it "string" a reserved word? (I am away from manuals at the
>>>> moment.) I'd use something different here, even if not.
>>>>
>>>> Keeping the variable label can be done with extended macro functions,
>>>> mentioned frequently on this list.
>>>>
>>>> foreach var of varlist srhcareactivity1-srhcareactivity6{
>>>>     local varlabel : variable label `var'
>>>>     capture decode `var', generate(string)
>>>>     if _rc == 0 {
>>>>             drop `var'
>>>>             rename string `var'
>>>>             label var `var `varlabel'
>>>>      }
>>>> }
>>>>
>>>> See -help extended fcn-. Or -help macro- first.
>>>>
>>>> Nick
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 6:28 AM, Paul O'Brien <paul.obrien@afe2.org.uk>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 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.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>> *   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/
>>>
>>> -------------------------------
>>> Dr Paul O'Brien
>>> Raymede Clinic
>>> Westside Contraception and Sexual Health Services
>>> Central London Community Healthcare
>>> Exmoor St
>>> London
>>> W10 6DZ
>>> UK
>>> +44 (0)20 8962 4450
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> *
>> *   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/

*
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