help #delimit
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Title
[P] #delimit -- Change delimiter
Syntax
#delimit { cr | ; }
Description
The #delimit command resets the character that marks the end of a
command. It can be used only in do-files and ado-files.
Remarks
#delimit (pronounced pound-delimit) is a Stata preprocessor command.
#commands do not generate a return code, nor do they generate ordinary
Stata errors. The only error message associated with #commands is
"unrecognized #command".
Commands given from the console are always executed when you press the
Enter, or Return, key. #delimit cannot be used interactively, so you
cannot change Stata's interactive behavior.
Commands in a do-file, however, may be delimited with a carriage return
or a semicolon. When a do-file begins, the delimiter is a carriage
return. The command "#delimit ;" changes the delimiter to a semicolon.
To restore the carriage return delimiter inside a file, use #delimit cr.
When a do-file begins execution, the delimiter is automatically set to
carriage return, even if it was called from another do-file that set the
delimiter to semicolon. Also, the current do-file need not worry about
restoring the delimiter to what it was because Stata will do that
automatically.
Examples
--- top of myfile1.do ---------------
use mydata, clear
#delimit ;
regress lnwage educ complete age age2
exp exp2 tenure tenure2
reg1-reg3 female ;
predict e, resid ;
#delimit cr
summarize e, detail
--- end of myfile1.do ---------------
Another way to do this without #delimit would be
--- top of myfile2.do ------------------
use mydata, clear
regress lnwage educ complete age age2 /*
*/ exp exp2 tenure tenure2 /*
*/ reg1-reg3 female
predict e, resid
summarize e, detail
--- end of myfile2.do ------------------
See [U] 16.1.3 Long lines in do-files for more information.
Also see
Manual: [P] #delimit
Help: [P] comments, [U] 10 Keyboard use
