Re: st: Generate Start and End Dates for SMCL Log Reports

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

su date, meanonly
di "This analysis runs from " %tdd/N/CY r(min)  " to " %tdd/N/CY r(max)

1. The minimum and maximum are just numeric constants, and can be
derived using -summarize-. Creating new variables to hold constants,
and then transferring their values to scalars, are all unnecessary.

2. To get the -format- you want, you need to study the help for -dates
and times-.

3. Scalars and macros don't have inherent or intrinsic formats that
can be assigned, but you can instruct -display- to use the format you
need.

4. This list is Statalist, not StatList.

Nick

On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 3:23 PM, Kristina Beatrice Benavidez
<beatricestata1711@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi StatListers,
>
> I have numerous analysis SMCL log files to create.
>
> One of my datasets runs from 16/07/2012 until 20/08/2012.
>
> These date observations are in the date variable and is in "DMY" %td format.
>
> In the log file, I need to write the sentence: "This analysis runs from
> 16/07/2012 to 20/08/2012."
>
> I would like to do this without having to manually look at the dataset to
> find the startdate (16/07/2012) and enddate (20/08/2012) because I'll have
> to do this across many datasets.
>
> How would I do this?
>
> I tried
> . egen startdate = min(date)
> . egen maxdate = max(date)
> . format startdate & enddate %td
>
> I tried to make the first observation of the startdate variable (there is
> only one startdate so the observations across the startdate variables are
> all the same) so that I can then put this in the SMCL log file:
>
> . scalar startdatescal = startdate[1]
>
> However, the result gives me 19190 which is the stata date number and does
> not appear as the %td date format.
>
> How do I perhaps transform the startdate and enddate variable formats from
> elapsed date to non-elapsed date whilst still keeping the date format
> appearance?
>
> I cannot find a way to get to the sentence I need without having to look up
> the startdate and enddate everytime.
>
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