st: how to attach labels to string values

[Stephen Martin <stephen.martin@york.ac.uk>]

I have a variable with a three digit hospital operation code.  The
first digit is always a letter and the other two digits are always
numeric (eg A10, R45, V89).

I have another file with a very brief description of the meaning of
each of these codes.  I would like to use this information to attach
labels to the operation code but the latter are not integers so I
believe that I can't use label define lblname # "label" [# "label"
...].

Is there an easier way around this apart from, say, replacing the
first digit in the operation code with a number (i.e., replace A with
1, B with 2,...)?

Thanks.

Steve
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