Re: st: forvalues problem

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

Several errors here:

1. Evaluate r(N):

local nmbr = r(N)

Otherwise you are just copying the text "r(N)", not a good idea.

2. -in 1- is misplaced in the -replace- statement; it must be placed  
after the expression. Study the syntax diagram for -replace-.

3. The statement -local back ...- won't work for various reasons. You  
apparently intend something like

local back = ptile['i' - 1]

4. You must use 'back' to evaluate a local macro. This error was very  
recently explained to you.

Please note that I don't have a left single quote character on the  
device I am using.

These are the syntax or style errors evident on a quick reading.

Writing a loop to get a cumulative sum is also unnecessary as the  
function -sum()- will do that for you. But each cumulative probability  
is just _n/_N after sorting, although a decent program would need to  
think about ties and missing values
and support -if- and -in-.

Writing a do-file or program to draw a cumulative distribution plot is  
also unnecessary as (e.g.) -distplot- (SJ) has already been written.

Nick


On 26 Aug 2012, at 00:19, Morrison Hodges <hodge002@umn.edu> wrote:

> I have the following code:
> ----------------------------------
> /*                  cdp.do
>
>    Creating a cumulative distribution plot for use in PreFib analysis
>    Created by MH on Friday, August 23, 2012
>                                    */
> version 12.1
>
> capture log close
> set more off
>
> use prefib.dta, clear
>
> label data "PreFib Data"
>
> summarize grpa_jumpnmbr       /* to get the number of rows in  
> grpa_jumpnmbr */
> local nmbr r(N)             /* gets the number of rows in  
> grpa_jumpnmbr */
> sort grpa_jumpnmbr            /* sorts grpa_jumpnmbr from lowest to  
> highest */
> gen ptile = 0                /* new variable to place percentiles in  
> */
> gen dif = 1/`nmbr'            /* generates the percentile difference  
> to be added to each row */
> replace ptile in 1 = dif    /* lowest number is the lowest  
> percentile */
>
> forvalues i = 2/`nmbr' {
>
>    local back = (ptile in (`i' - 1))
>    replace ptile in `i' = back + dif
>
> }
>
> log close
> ---------------------------------------
> I get a syntax error with this, but I don't know why. Thanks in  
> advance for any help.
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