Sergiy Radyakin <[email protected]> et al. --
Beware of posts with the word "bug" as they usually describe a
misunderstood feature.
help syntax##description_of_varlist
documents that
The default is to fill [varlist] in with all the variables. If
default=none is specified, it is left empty.
Since
Typing varname
is equivalent to typing varlist(max=1).
using either
syntax [varname (default=none)]
or
syntax varname
is safest.
On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 5:17 PM, Sergiy Radyakin <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I wonder if this is an intended behaviour (quite dangerous from my
> point of view) or just a bug?
>
> // --- Begin of file SyntaxBug.do ---
>
> program drop _all
> drop _all
>
> generate VariableThatShouldNotBeUsed=.
>
> program define SyntaxBug
> syntax [varname]
> di `"`varlist'"'
> end
>
> SyntaxBug
>
> generate JustAnotherVariable=.
>
> SyntaxBug
>
> // --- End of file SyntaxBug.do ---
>
> If this is not an intended behaviour then it is actually two bugs in
> one, since under some conditions the program will process the variable
> that the user DID NOT specify (first call in the program above), and
> under other conditions it will refuse to work though it supposedly
> should (second call in the program above).
>
> If this is intended (may be there is an explanation) then it goes
> against the documentation, saying anything in [ ] is optional.
>
> Thank you,
> Sergiy Radyakin
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