Re: st: editing string variables to remove letters and keep only numbers

[Michael McCulloch <mm@pinestreetfoundation.org>]

In implementing the example, I wrote, based on the variable "id":

gen length = length(id)
su length, meanonly
local lmax = r(max)
gen numstr = ""
gen letterstr = ""

forval i = 1/`max' {
     replace numstr = numstr + substr(id, `i', 1) if
inrange(real(substr(id, `i', 1)), 0, 9)
     replace letterstr = letterstr + substr(id, `i', 1) if
!inrange(real(substr(id, `i', 1)), 0, 9)
}

The forval statement is where I am getting the invalid syntax error.


Best wishes,
Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD

--
Pine Street Foundation, since 1989
124 Pine Street | San Anselmo | California | 94960-2674  
P: (415) 407-1357 | F: (206) 338-2391 | http://www.PineStreetFoundation.org

On Jun 17, 2013, at 5:02 PM, Nick Cox wrote:

> Yes. The negation is intended. If a character isn't 0 to 9, it's
> regarded as a a letter.
> 
> Show us the exact code you typed to get a better answer.
> Nick
> njcoxstata@gmail.com
> 
> 
> On 18 June 2013 00:51, Michael McCulloch <mm@pinestreetfoundation.org> wrote:
>> Thanks Nick.
>> 
>> On the second inrange argument, does the "!" belong there?
>> When I run that forval command, an invalid syntax r(198) code is returned.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Best wishes,
>> Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD
>> 
>> --
>> Pine Street Foundation, since 1989
>> 124 Pine Street | San Anselmo | California | 94960-2674
>> P: (415) 407-1357 | F: (206) 338-2391 | http://www.PineStreetFoundation.org
>> 
>> On Jun 17, 2013, at 4:10 PM, Nick Cox wrote:
>> 
>>> There are is a dedicated functions in -egenmore- (SSC) (-sieve()-)
>>> but let's take it from first principles.
>>> 
>>> gen length = length(strvar)
>>> su length, meanonly
>>> local lmax = r(max)
>>> 
>>> gen numstr = ""
>>> gen letterstr = ""
>>> 
>>> forval i = 1/`max' {
>>>     replace numstr = numstr + substr(strvar, `i', 1) if
>>> inrange(real(substr(strvar, `i', 1)), 0, 9)
>>>     replace letterstr = letterstr + substr(strvar, `i', 1) if
>>> !inrange(real(substr(strvar, `i', 1)), 0, 9)
>>> }
>>> Nick
>>> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 17 June 2013 23:53, Michael McCulloch <mm@pinestreetfoundation.org> wrote:
>>>> I have a variable in my dataset that (due to changes in data entry practices over time) contains several styles of the variable ID:
>>>> 
>>>>       - a number (e.g. 164)
>>>>       - a letter-number combination (e.g. e64)
>>>>       - a comma-separated letter-number combination (e.g. e64,e65)
>>>> 
>>>> In seeking to (A) remove the letters, and (B) separate the comma-separated into two separate variables, ID1 and ID2, I wrote the following argument:
>>>> 
>>>> . split ID, p(",")
>>>> . gen str id1_new =""           // make new ID to separate out the "e" from ID
>>>> . replace id1_new=substr(id1,2,3)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> This successfully splits ID into ID1 and ID2.
>>>> 
>>>> This also works if:
>>>>       a 3-digit variable has a preceding letter (e64 is changed to 64)
>>>> 
>>>> However, in the case of a 3-digit values WITHOUT PRECEDING LETTER, the first digit is removed (164 is changed to 64).
>>>> 
>>>> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Best wishes,
>>>> Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Pine Street Foundation, since 1989
>>>> 124 Pine Street | San Anselmo | California | 94960-2674
>>>> P: (415) 407-1357 | F: (206) 338-2391 | http://www.PineStreetFoundation.org
>>>> 
>>>> 
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