We are totally dependent on what you type.
The FAQ advises:
"Say exactly what you typed and exactly what Stata typed (or did) in response. N.B. exactly!"
So, I need to try again. My next guess is this. You don't have Stata 10.1 in which -rnormal()- was introduced.
The FAQ also advises:
"The current version of Stata is 10.1. Please specify if you are using an earlier version; otherwise, the answer to your question is likely to refer to commands or features unavailable to you."
In whatever version you have
gen rn = 9 * invnorm(uniform())
should work. If not try
gen rn = 9 * invnormal(uniform())
Please do read the Statalist FAQ and study guidelines before posting. It applies to _you_ too!
Nick
[email protected]
Rodrigo Briceño
Thanks Nick. I forgot to mention that I tried with and without spaces,
because the error appears in any case.
. gen rn = rnormal(0,9)
Unknown function rnormal()
r(133);
2009/3/19 Nick Cox <[email protected]>:
> This is not a matter covered by an FAQ because it's just a matter of standard syntax as explained in the help and the manuals.
>
> Think about it from Stata's point of view. Only if you write -rnormal()- with no space -- and arguments supplied within () -- does it know that you want a function with that name. There is no rule against a variable called -rnormal-, so your reference to -rnormal- followed by a space indicates to Stata that you mean to refer to a variable with that name. You don't have one, so it throws you out in a state of puzzlement with a message that is perfectly reasonable.
>
> set obs 100
> gen rn = rnormal(0,9)
>
> Nick
> [email protected]
>
> Rodrigo Briceño
>
> I would like to know if there is a function similar to this that I
> found in R: norm <- rnorm(100, 2, 5)
> The trick is to generate a variable that contains 100 values with are
> normal distributed with mean 2 and stdev 5.
>
> I found that rnormal is a function in Stata, but I am not sure about
> the way to write the sintax to produce that outcome. I tried with:
> generate rn=rnormal (0,9) but a message telling me rnormal is not
> found appeared.
>
> I looked into FAQ but there are no related issues...
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