help log, help cmdlog dialog: log
help set logtype, help set linesize
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title
[R] log -- Echo copy of session to file
Syntax
Report status of log file
log
log query [logname | _all]
Open log file
log using filename [, append replace [text|smcl] name(logname)]
Close log
log close [logname | _all]
Temporarily suspend logging or resume logging
log {off|on} [logname]
Report status of command log file
cmdlog
Open command log file
cmdlog using filename [, append replace]
Close command log, temporarily suspend logging, or resume logging
cmdlog {close|on|off}
Set default format for logs
set logtype {text|smcl} [, permanently]
Specify screen width
set linesize #
In addition to using the log command, you may access the capabilities of
log by selecting File > Log from the menu and choosing one of the
options in the list.
Menu
File > Log
Description
log allows you to make a full record of your Stata session. A log is a
file containing what you type and Stata's output. You may start multiple
log files at the same time, and you may refer to them with a logname. If
you do not specify a logname, Stata will use the name <unnamed>.
cmdlog allows you to make a record of what you type during your Stata
session. A command log contains only what you type, so it is a subset of
a full log.
You can make full logs, command logs, or both simultaneously. Neither is
produced until you tell Stata to start logging.
Command logs are always ASCII text files, making them easy to convert
into do-files. (In this respect, it would make more sense if the default
extension of a command log file was .do because command logs are
do-files. The default is .txt, not .do, however, to keep you from
accidentally overwriting your important do-files.)
Full logs are recorded in one of two formats: SMCL (Stata Markup and
Control Language) or text (meaning ASCII). The default is SMCL, but you
can use set logtype to change that, or you can specify an option to state
the format you wish. We recommend SMCL because it preserves fonts and
colors. SMCL logs can be converted to ASCII text or to other formats by
using the translate command; see [R] translate. You can also use
translate to produce printable versions of SMCL logs. SMCL logs can be
viewed and printed from the Viewer, as can any text file; see [R] view.
When using multiple log files, you may have up to five SMCL logs and five
text logs open at the same time.
log or cmdlog, typed without arguments, reports the status of logging.
log query, when passed an optional logname, reports the status of that
log.
log using and cmdlog using open a log file. log close and cmdlog close
close the file. Between times, log off and cmdlog off, and log on and
cmdlog on, can temporarily suspend and resume logging.
If filename is specified without an extension, one of the suffixes .smcl,
.log, or .txt is added. The extension .smcl or .log is added by log,
depending on whether the file format is SMCL or ASCII text. The
extension .txt is added by cmdlog. If filename contains embedded spaces,
remember to enclose it in double quotes.
set logtype specifies the default format in which full logs are to be
recorded. Initially, full logs are recorded in SMCL format.
set linesize specifies the maximum width, in characters, of Stata output.
Most commands in Stata do not respect linesize, because it is not
important for most commands. Most users never need to set linesize,
because it will automatically be reset if you resize your Results window.
This is also why there is no permanently option allowed with set
linesize. set linesize is for use with commands such as list and display
and is typically used by programmers who wish the output of those
commands to be wider or narrower than the current width of the Results
window.
Options for use with both log and cmdlog
append specifies that results be appended to an existing file. If the
file does not already exist, a new file is created.
replace specifies that filename, if it already exists, be overwritten.
When you do not specify either replace or append, the file is assumed
to be new. If the specified file already exists, an error message is
issued and logging is not started.
Options for use with log
text and smcl specify the format in which the log is to be recorded. The
default is complicated to describe but is what you would expect:
If you specify the file as filename.smcl, the default is to write the
log in SMCL format (regardless of the value of set logtype).
If you specify the file as filename.log, the default is to write the
log in text format (regardless of the value of the set logtype).
If you type filename without an extension and specify neither the
smcl option nor the text option, the default is to write the file
according to the value of set logtype. If you have not set logtype,
then the default is SMCL. Also the filename you specified will be
fixed to read filename.smcl if a SMCL log is being created or
filename.log if a text log is being created.
If you specify either of the options text or smcl, then what you
specify determines how the log is written. If filename was specified
without an extension, the appropriate extension is added for you.
If you open multiple log files, you may choose a different format for
each file.
name(logname) specifies an optional name you may use to refer to the log
while it is open. You can start multiple log files, give each a
different logname, and then close, temporarily suspend, or resume
them each individually.
Option for use with set logtype
permanently specifies that, in addition to making the change right now,
the logtype setting be remembered and become the default setting when
you invoke Stata.
Examples
. log using mylog
. log close
. log using mylog, append
. log close
. log using "filename containing spaces"
. log using firstfile, name(log1) text
. log using secondfile, name(log2) smcl
. log using thirdfile, name(log3) smcl
. log query _all
. log close log1
. log close _all
Saved results
log and cmdlog save the following in r():
Macros
r(name) logname
r(filename) name of file
r(status) on or off
r(type) smcl or text
log query _all saves the following in r():
Scalars
r(numlogs) number of open log files
For each open log file, log query _all also saves
Macros
r(name#) logname
r(filename#) name of file
r(status#) on or off
r(type#) smcl or text
where # varies between 1 and the value of r(numlogs). Be aware that #
will not necessarily represent the order in which the log files were
first opened, nor will it necessarily remain constant for a given log
file upon multiple calls to log query.
Also see
Manual: [R] log
Help: [R] translate, [R] query
