RE: st: inputting data via a series of nested loops

["Ben Hoen" <bhoen@lbl.gov>]

Thanks Sergiy,

I actually did mean -input- as in "input x y".  I can see the problem with
what I wrote given what you mention about the data immediately following the
-input- command.  Is there any way to build a dataset as I had hoped using
loops of numbers/strings?  For example, can I display, and then use the
contents of the display for the data I wish to enter?

I am grasping at straws here, but I have a large patterned dataset (similar
to the one I mentioned) that I need to build as a template and it would be
useful to use loops to build it.  Then again, maybe there is a much
different way than using -input-...

Thanks, for any advice you or others might offer.  Best,

Ben 

Ben Hoen
LBNL
Office: 845-758-1896
Cell: 718-812-7589


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
[mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Sergiy Radyakin
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 4:13 PM
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: Re: st: inputting data via a series of nested loops

The command -input- assumes the data follows immediately in the program:

input x y
10 20
20 70
end

You are probably confusing it with a command -input- in some other
languages, like BASIC, where it serves the purpose of requesting
values from the user.

In Stata you can use the -display- command for that:

display "Enter value for X:"  _request(x)
display `"$x"'

Best, Sergiy


On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 2:46 PM, Ben Hoen <bhoen@lbl.gov> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I am trying to encourage Stata to enter data into a new dataset via a loop
> in an ado file.  I was not able to find anything in the archives that fit
my
> situation (though I did find this:
> http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2010-07/msg00425.html).
>
> For example, say I wanted to end up with this as my dataset:
>
> type    place   time
> a       1       1
> a       1       2
> a       2       1
> a       2       2
> b       1       1
> b       1       2
> b       2       1
> b       2       2
> c       1       1
> c       1       2
> c       2       1
> c       2       2
>
> I have tried the following which works:
>
> local name "a b c"
> foreach n of local name  {
>         forvalues time = 1/2 {
>                 forvalues place = 1/2 {
>                 display "`n' `time' `place'"
>                 }
>         }
> }
> end
> *
>
> The results:
>
>
> . do "B:\temp\STD08000000.tmp"
>
> . local name "a b c"
>
> . foreach n of local name  {
>   2.         forvalues time = 1/2 {
>   3.                 forvalues place = 1/2 {
>   4.                 display "`n' `time' `place'"
>   5.                 }
>   6.         }
>   7. }
> a 1 1
> a 1 2
> a 2 1
> a 2 2
> b 1 1
> b 1 2
> b 2 1
> b 2 2
> c 1 1
> c 1 2
> c 2 1
> c 2 2
>
> And therefore I hoped the following would work:
>
> input name time place
> local name "a b c"
> foreach n of local name  {
>         forvalues time = 1/2 {
>                 forvalues place = 1/2 {
>                 `n' `time' `place'
>                 }
>         }
> }
> end
> *
>
> But, for which I get:
>
>
> . do "B:\temp\STD08000000.tmp"
>
> . input name time place
>
>           name       time      place
>   1. local name "a b c"
> 'local' cannot be read as a number
>   1. foreach n of local name  {
> 'foreach' cannot be read as a number
>   1.         forvalues time = 1/2 {
> 'forvalues' cannot be read as a number
>   1.                 forvalues place = 1/2 {
> 'forvalues' cannot be read as a number
>   1.                 `n' `time' `place'
> '`' cannot be read as a number
>   1.                 }
> '' cannot be read as a number}
>   1.         }
> '' cannot be read as a number}
>   1. }
> '' cannot be read as a number}
>   1. end
>
> . *
> .
> end of do-file
>
>
> Any ideas how to correct?
>
> Thanks, in advance,
>
> Ben
>
>
> Ben Hoen
> Staff Research Associate
> Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
> Office: 845-758-1896
> Cell: 718-812-7589
> bhoen@lbl.gov
> http://emp.lbl.gov/staff/ben-hoen
>
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