Re: st: question regarding Syntax command

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

On #1, if you want to write a non-trivial Stata program, then at some
point you have to look up what you need in the help for -syntax-. You
don't have to understand it all.

program MyFunc
     syntax varlist , genvar(str)
     ...
     generate `genvar' = ...
end

is a step closer to what you want. The -syntax- statement here is that
an option -genvar()- is required which takes a string argument.

On #2, the short answer is No -- in Stata. If from MATLAB experience
you prefer to work that way, you can do so in Mata.

In general, clear communication is easier if you realise that programs
in Stata are not called "functions".  See also
http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2008-08/msg01258.html

Nick

On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 5:10 PM, Pradipto Banerjee
<pradipto.banerjee@adainvestments.com> wrote:

> Assume a code for an ado file is as follows:
>
> program define MyFunc
>        ...
>        gen MyOutVar = ...
> end
>
> the function MyFunc was a few variables can be called as "MyFunc MyInVar1 MyInVar2" and then after calling the function a column MyOutVar is generated in the database.
>
> (1) I want to the MyFunc written in Stata to take the output variable MyOutVar as a input, i.e. instead of defining "gen MyOutVar" I want to let the user choose the variable name corresponding. Can I potentially define an "option" like "genvar(MyOutVar)" while calling the function MyFunc, i.e. call the function as "MyFunc MyInVar1 MyInVar2, genvar(MyOutVar)"
>
> How can I implement this?
>
>
> (2) I am used to Matlab where once we define a functions say MyFunc and the functions is supposed to return a variable, then we call them as MyOutVar = MyFunc (MyInVar1, MyInVar2, ...). It is possible to do the same in Stata, i.e. can I define a Stata program to recognize the "=" sign as a part of the syntax, and the function is called as "MyOutVar = MyFunc (MyInVar1, MyInVar2)" ?

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