help codebook dialog: codebook
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Title
[D] codebook -- Describe data contents
Syntax
codebook [varlist] [if] [in] [, options]
options description
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Options
all print complete report without missing values
header print dataset name and last saved date
notes print any notes attached to variables
mv report pattern of missing values
tabulate(#) set tables/summary statistics threshold; default
is tabulate(9)
problems report potential problems in dataset
detail display detailed report on the variables; only
with problems
compact display compact report on the variables
dots display a dot for each variable processed; only
with compact
Languages
languages[(namelist)] use with multilingual datasets; see [D] label
language for details
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Menu
Data > Describe data > Describe data contents (codebook)
Description
codebook examines the variable names, labels, and data to produce a
codebook describing the dataset.
Options
+---------+
----+ Options +----------------------------------------------------------
all is equivalent to specifying the header and notes options. It
provides a complete report, which excludes only performing mv.
header adds to the top of the output a header that lists the dataset
name, the date that the dataset was last saved, etc.
notes lists any notes attached to the variables; see [D] notes.
mv specifies that codebook search the data to determine the pattern of
missing values. This is a CPU-intensive task.
tabulate(#) specifies the number of unique values of the variables to use
to determine whether a variable is categorical or continuous.
Missing values are not included in this count. The default is 9;
when there are more than nine unique values, the variable is
classified as continuous. Extended missing values will be included
in the tabulation.
problems specifies that a summary report is produced describing potential
problems that have been diagnosed:
- Variables that are labeled with an undefined value label
- Incompletely value-labeled variables
- Variables that are constant, including always missing
- Trailing, trimming, and embedded spaces in string variables
- Noninteger-valued date variables
See codebook problems for a discussion of these problems and advice
on overcoming them.
detail may be specified only with the problems option. It specifies that
the detailed report on the variables not be suppressed.
compact specifies that a compact report on the variables be displayed.
compact may not be specified with any options other than dots.
dots specifies that a dot be displayed for every variable processed.
dots may be specified only with compact.
+-----------+
----+ Languages +--------------------------------------------------------
languages[(namelist)] is for use with multilingual datasets; see [D]
label language. It indicates that the codebook pertains to the
languages in namelist or to all defined languages if no such list is
specified as an argument to languages(). The output of codebook
lists the data label and variable labels in these languages and which
value labels are attached to variables in these languages.
Problems are diagnosed in all these languages, as well. The problem
report does not provide details in which language problems occur. We
advise you to rerun codebook for problematic variables; specify
detail to produce the problem report again.
If you have a multilingual dataset but do not specify languages(),
all output, including the problem report, is shown in the "active"
language.
Examples
With standard (monolingual) datasets,
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Setup
. sysuse auto
. note rep78: "investigate missing values"
. label values rep78 repairlbl
Display codebook for all variables in dataset
. codebook
Same as above command
. codebook _all
Same as above command, but print dataset name, date last saved,
dataset label, number of variables and of observations, and dataset
size
. codebook, header
Display codebook for rep78 variable
. codebook rep78
Display codebook for rep78 variable, including notes attached to
rep78
. codebook rep78, notes
Report potential problems with dataset
. codebook, problems
Display compact report for all variables in dataset
. codebook, compact
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Setup
. webuse citytemp, clear
Display codebook for cooldd, heatdd, tempjan, and tempjuly, and
report pattern of missing values
. codebook cooldd heatdd tempjan tempjuly, mv
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With multilingual datasets, with languages en and es, and with active
language en,
Setup
. webuse autom
Display codebook for foreign in language en
. codebook foreign
Display codebook for foreign in language es
. codebook foreign, language(es)
Display codebook for foreign in both en and es
. codebook foreign, languages
Saved results
codebook saves the following lists of variables with potential problems
in r():
Macros
r(cons) constant (or missing)
r(labelnotfound) undefined value labeled
r(notlabeled) value labeled but with unlabeled categories
r(str_type) compressible
r(str_leading) leading blanks
r(str_trailing) trailing blanks
r(str_embedded) embedded blanks
r(realdate) noninteger dates
Also see
Manual: [D] codebook
Help: codebook problems, [D] describe, [D] inspect, [D] labelbook, [D]
notes, [D] split
