RE: st: Insert spaces into a string variable upto the max length of a variable.

[Tim Evans <Tim.Evans@phe.gov.uk>]

Hi as an update, or correction. My variable alignment is fine in the data file, it becomes right aligned when I graph it. Sorry should have been clearer first time around.

Best wishes

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Evans 
Sent: 07 February 2014 14:39
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: RE: st: Insert spaces into a string variable upto the max length of a variable.

Nick,

Thank you very much for your help. 

I have used this code in order to create a variable that is based upon a number of other variables and I wanted to ensure correct spacing between the variables when I concatenated them together. I now left align the string variable and I notice that the combined variables now align for all records. 

My next thing is that I want to use this variable in a -tw- bar graph. I understand that strings cannot be used in a bar graph, so I encode my newly created string variable. However, I lose the left alignment I previously enjoyed with the string variable and while the contents are the same the alignment is now right aligned (I have tried left aligning in the variable properties). Is this because what is being aligned is the numeric value behind the label? If so, how can I duplicate the exact alignment in the string variable into the numeric labelled variable?

Best wishes

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Tim Evans
Sent: 07 February 2014 10:53
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: RE: st: Insert spaces into a string variable upto the max length of a variable.

Nick,

Thanks for this - much appreciated. Am working through this with other variables now.

Best wishes

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Nick Cox
Sent: 06 February 2014 22:43
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: Re: st: Insert spaces into a string variable upto the max length of a variable.

gen length = length(trim(strvar))
su length, meanonly

local max = r(max)
local pad : di _dup(`max') " "

replace strvar = trim(strvar) + substr("`pad'", 1, `max' - length)

NB _not_ length("strvar") !!!

The -length()- function finds the length. -summarize- returns the maximum length. The biggest possible "pad" is that many spaces. The length of the part of the pad needed is the difference between the length of the trimmed string and the maximum length.


Nick
njcoxstata@gmail.com


On 6 February 2014 21:34, Tim Evans <Tim.Evans@phe.gov.uk> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm using Stata 11.2. I have a string variable called 'make' containing the following:
>
> Buick
> AMC
> Lincoln
>
> The max string length is 7 (for Lincoln) with the smallest being 3 for AMC.
>
> What I want to do is assess the maximum length of the variable 'make' and then insert extra spaces in order to make the length of each value up to the max. I.e add to the end of Buick two spaces and AMC (4 spaces) and Lincoln (no spaces).
>
> I need this for when I concatenate the string variable with another string so that the start of the second string component is aligned for all values.
>
> Any help much appreciated
>
> Best wishes
>
> Tim
>
>
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