Re: st: Enhancing stata programming skills

[R Zhang <r05zhang@gmail.com>]

Thanks Nick for the good advice and all your help in the past !!!

On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 2:56 PM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> Programming can mean anything from writing down a single Stata command
> that worked (we should all have managed that) to writing the magic
> word -program- and defining your own new commands, and within that to
> writing really powerful and impressive commands.
>
> It is a fair bet that people who are struggling or frustrated are just
> trying too much too soon. At the same time, many _very_ experienced
> users have never written a single Stata program and are very happy
> about that. As one of them said to me, "I signed up to be a
> statistician, not a programmer".
>
> In so far as I recall them, the kinds of problem you have been
> struggling with have not required new programs from anyone. They are
> nitty-gritty problems requiring a succession of commands each nudging
> the data step-by-step towards the desired condition.  Working out the
> right sequence can be a tough call even for very experienced users,
> particularly if data arrive in an unfamiliar or inappropriate form.
>
> I usually want a small toy dataset to play with. Staring at a problem
> is no good unless you have seen it before.
>
> There really is no substitute for knowing as much of Stata as
> possible. At the same time, it's clear that Stata is so big that you
> have to be selective, and you can afford to be.
>
> The first guide to Stata programming is within [U]. It's still one of the best
>
> People often seem to miss that many of the commands covered in [D] can
> solve or illuminate their problem.
>
> Kit Baum's book is excellent.
>
> The Stata Journal has an expository and tutorial side.
>
> I am not sure this will help much.
>
> Nick
> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>
>
> On 21 February 2014 19:14, R Zhang <r05zhang@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Statalisters,
>>
>> could you give some recommendation concerning  enhancing stata
>> programming skills?
>>
>> I read a few programming book, but when I browse the posting on
>> statalist, I feel I need so much more to understand some of the
>> programs posted.
>>
>> thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts,
>>
>> Rochelle
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> *
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> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
*
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