Re: st: -build_directives- and -project- command

[Roberto Ferrer <refp16@gmail.com>]

Yes, it clarifies a lot.

I was under the wrong impression, due to misreading of some log file,
that -project, uses()- was actually loading something. This made me
question the description of the help file.

Again, thank you.

Roberto



On Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 5:11 PM, Robert Picard <picard@netbox.com> wrote:
> Actually, the build directives do not load any file, they are just
> there to record the dependencies within -project-. There are many ways
> that a do-file can depend on a dataset that do not involve the -use-
> command. Let's say that you have two datasets that were created
> (saved) upstream in different do-files and now you want to merge them:
>
> project, uses("prices.dta")
> project, uses("cpi.dta")
> use "prices.dta"
> merge m:1 year using "cpi.dta"
> [... do some stuff]
> save "prices_cpi.dta"
> project, creates("prices_cpi.dta")
>
> In terms of dependencies, "cpi.dta" is used by the do-file even though
> it is loaded from a -merge- command. Note that the above code will
> produce an error if there are no prior -project,
> creates("prices.dta")- and -project, creates("cpi.dta")- in the
> do-files that created them. If you found these files on a web site
> instead, then you would use instead:
>
> project, original("prices.dta")
> project, original("cpi.dta")
> use "prices.dta"
> merge m:1 year using "cpi.dta"
>
> The different types of dependency are used to check the logic of what
> you are doing. You cannot create a file that is already in the
> project. You cannot state that a file is an original if it has already
> been created upstream. You cannot use a file (in the sense of
> -project, uses()-) unless it was created in the project.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Robert
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 10:12 AM, Roberto Ferrer <refp16@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Regarding the user-written package -project- by Robert Picard and
>> installed using:
>>
>>  net from http://robertpicard.com/stata
>>
>> I'd just like to comment and get some feedback on:
>> In terms of the -build_directives- commands, in the help file I think
>> it would be a good idea to state that -uses- actually loads the
>> specified file. This is in contrast to -original-, for example, that
>> must be specified along with a default Stata command such as -use-:
>>
>>     project, original("`pdir'/data/stata/college.dta")
>>     use "`pdir'/data/stata/college.dta"
>>
>> The reason for being explicit is simply the definiton of
>> -build_directives- given in -help-: "Your include build directives in
>> do-files to INDICATE each do-file's dependencies". (My capitals.
>> "Your" must be a typo and should read "You".) Furthermore, it would be
>> nice to have something like:
>>
>> project, uses(file_name) [original, created]
>>
>> that substitutes both -original- and -uses-, loading the data AND
>> flagging the dependency. Don't know how difficult this actually is or
>> if it even makes sense.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Roberto
>> Stata 12.1 (64-bit)
>> Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)
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