--- Sergiy Radyakin <[email protected]> wrote:
> Thank you Austin.It follows that by default -syntax- will add an
> additional option (varlist=* max=1) which renders -syntax-
> inoperable.
> This makes it a poor choice for defaults, since most users probably
> work with datasets with more than one variable. And it makes even
> less
> sense when "varname" is in [ ].
>
> As for the documentation , I thought when I type
>
> StataBug x y z, option1(value1)
>
> this would be exactly the line that is going to the parser, and after
> that x y and z are put to the -varlist-.
>
>
> So that if I type
> StataBug ,option1(value1)
>
> and StataBug contains
> syntax [varname], option1(string)
>
> Stata converts the string to be parsed into:
> "[varlist min=0 max=1], option1(string)"
>
> substitutes from what I have typed:
> "[min=0 max=1], option1("value1")"
>
> evaluates, must result in OK, because 0 is between 0 and 1
>
> then fills in varlist with the variable names (if specified) or all
> variable names (if not specified) and let's the program go.
>
> Adding * to varlist and adding (max=1) should be mutually exclusive,
> since together they will fail most of the time.
>
> Best wishes,
> Sergiy
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5/22/08, Austin Nichols <[email protected]> wrote:
> > 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
> > *
> > * For searches and help try:
> > * http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
> > * http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> > * http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
> >
> *
> * For searches and help try:
> * http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
> * http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> * http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
>
-----------------------------------------
Maarten L. Buis
Department of Social Research Methodology
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Boelelaan 1081
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
visiting address:
Buitenveldertselaan 3 (Metropolitan), room Z434
+31 20 5986715
http://home.fsw.vu.nl/m.buis/
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