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RE: st: gsort issue


From   "Steichen, Thomas J." <[email protected]>
To   <[email protected]>
Subject   RE: st: gsort issue
Date   Thu, 5 Jul 2007 17:47:57 -0400

Isn't the simplest solution that missing should never be treated in
Stata code as a "number"? 

Thus, things like sorts would need a documented definition of where
missing go but we wouldn't have to work around the "numeric" missing
so often. 

For example, 
  replace x = 3 if x > 2 & != . 
becomes the much simpler
  replace x = 3 if x > 2

I wonder how often I've messed up analyses because I forgot to tag
on the "& != ." ? 

(Hmmmmm, the "& != ." kind of looks like cartoon-speak for what I 
usually say when I notice I've failed to add the tag!)

Clearly, I'd much rather have Stata's code deal with this than for me 
to remember all the time, even if there is a processing overhead.

Tom

-----------------------------------
Thomas J. Steichen
[email protected]
-----------------------------------
 
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Nick Cox
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 5:35 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: st: gsort issue

I think that would bite more often than it blessed. 

Nick 
[email protected] 

Jeph Herrin
 
> Or even,
> 
>   set missing smallest
> 
> ?

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