Re: st: Getting number of files via -fs-

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

-fs- is from SSC. (You are asked to explain _where_ user-written files
come from.)

. di `: word count `r(files)''

works for me. I never insert spaces in filenames on purpose, but I
tried out one such example, and it didn't throw -fs-.

What are you doing wrong?

" " are string delimiters; so you told -display- that its argument was
a string, so your punishment is that you are obeyed.

`"  "' bind a string into one "word", sensu Stata, and the count is 1
as a result.

If it's any comfort, experienced users can often get bitten by these
small points too; experience just means that you get faster at
correcting mistakes, not that you don't make them.

Nick

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 8:16 AM, Partho Sarkar <partho.ss+lists@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am using Nick Cox's -fs- utility to automate a recurrent append
> files operation (that part works like a charm!)  As a part of this, I
> now need to keep track of of the number of  files  processed.  For
> some reason, I simply cannot get this part right.  Here is what I
> tried (there are 7 (seven)  files in the directory):
>
> ----------------------------CODE
> BEGIN-----------------------------------------------------
> // First attempt
> fs *.dta
> // displays ab_c.dta c_def.dta ... (7 files)
> local numfiles: list sizeof `"`r(files)'"'
> // With nested double quotes (tried with single quotes too-doesn't
> seem to make any difference)!
> // Error message: _""ab_c.dta" "c_def.dta"  invalid name
>
> // Second attempt
> fs *.dta
> local numfiles : word count "`r(files)'"
> di "`numfiles'"
> // Error: shows "9" (no quotes) !
>
> // Last attempt -with nested double quotes again
> fs *.dta
> local numfiles : word count `"`r(files)'"'
> // Shows 1 (the number one)!
>
> -------------------------------CODE
> ENDS--------------------------------------------------------
>
> What am I doing wrong? :-)  Or should i be using some other means
> altogether?  (Sorry if this is too trivial !)
>

*
*   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/