Hello Nick,
I used the -clonevar- command. The contents remained the same, but if
I do a simple calculation (cross multiplication) with var2 then the
results are wrong
Here are some results of the approach I used before:
NumberExamined should be the copy of total
list total NumberExamined
total NumberExamined
1. 51 38
2. 18 10
3. 20 12
4. 19 11
5. 55 41
etc
describe total NumberExamined
storage display value variable
variablename type format label label
total long %8.0g stool stooltest
su total NumberExamined
Variable Obs Mean Std. Dev. Min Max
total 25 21.56 13.2164
1 45
NumberExamined 25 21.56 13.2164 1 45
On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> This could be as simple as your new variable not inheriting the value
> labels of the -encode-d variable. (Have a look at -clonevar-.)
>
> Otherwise, we need more evidence. What you do mean by the contents
> changing? Show us the results of
>
> . describe var1 var2
> . su var1 var2
> . list var1 var2 if var1 != var2 [example at least]
>
> Nick
> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>
> On 24 April 2013 10:10, Patricia Biedermann <pati.stat@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> If I generate a new variable from an existing variable it happens that
>> the contents get changed.
>> gen var2=var1
>>
>> My approach is following:
>> 1) My original variable is string and I - encode - it: var1
>> 2) gen var2=var1
>>
>> At step 2) the contents changes.
>> I came along this Thread:
>> http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2012-05/msg01280.html
>> ..and tried to create a double variable first before copying the
>> variables. Anyway, the same problem appears again.
>>
>> What could be the problem? It did this thing (gen var2=var1) many
>> times and it always worked so far...
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