Re: st: Knowing how a variable was generated

[Louis Boakye-Yiadom <lby_kw@yahoo.co.uk>]

Allan, thanks.

Louis

--- On Mon, 1/11/10, Allan Reese (Cefas) <allan.reese@cefas.co.uk> wrote:

> From: Allan Reese (Cefas) <allan.reese@cefas.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: st: Knowing how a variable was generated
> To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> Date: Monday, 1 November, 2010, 17:25
> "If some of the variables in a
> dataset were generated by a
> transformation or combination of some other variable(s) in
> the data, is
> it possible to know this without seeing the relevant log or
> do file?"
> 
> It would be possible for software to record "created" and
> "last
> modified" dates for each variable, but it doesn't.  It
> seems rather
> onerous to record the complete history: a variable might be
> generated,
> subsequently recoded or specified values replaced (with if
> or in), or
> edited as individual values (each of which creates a
> replace for that
> unit.  It is unsafe to rely on the user having
> recorded all actions in
> the label.
> 
> That is why I have advocated having a profile.do that
> creates a daily
> log file so that all user commands are captured, including
> those created
> by edits. I have hundreds of text files logYYYY-MM-DD.txt.
> 
> 
> * Sprinkle with comments as it is otherwise hard, weeks
> later, to work
> out *why* you wrote specific commands, and of course the
> log contains
> all mistakes and blind alleys as well as the yellow brick
> road to
> happiness.
> 
> I regularly remind myself how variables came about by
> searching the logs
> for variable or file names.  The one operation that
> creates no log is
> pasting data from an arbitrary range of an Excel
> spreadsheet. That needs
> a comment, then wash you hands.  
> 
> Allan 
> 
> 
> ***********************************************************************************
> This email and any attachments are intended for the named
> recipient only.  Its unauthorised use, distribution,
> disclosure, storage or copying is not permitted.  If
> you have received it in error, please destroy all copies and
> notify the sender.  In messages of a non-business
> nature, the views and opinions expressed are the author's
> own and do not necessarily reflect those of the organisation
> from which it is sent.  All emails may be subject to
> monitoring.
> ***********************************************************************************
> 
> 
> *
> *   For searches and help try:
> *   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
> 


      

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/