.- help for ^varxplor^ [STB-45: dm61; STB-51: dm61.1] .- . A tool for exploring variables (Windows and Macintosh only) ----------------------------------------------------------- . ^varxplor^ [varlist] [^, a^lpha ^b1(^cmdstr^) b2(^cmdstr^) b3(^cmdstr^) b4(^cmdstr^) b5(^cmdstr^)^] . . Description ----------- . ^varxplor^ is a tool that provides most of the same information as the @describe@ command, but in a form that can be scrolled and explored. varxplor also resemb- les Stata's ^Variables^ window except that more information is available, target variables can be quickly located, and often used commands can be applied immed- iately once a target has been located. If a varlist is given, only those vari- ables can be explored; otherwise, all variables are available. . The lower portion of the varxplor dialog is a three part ^variables window^, with a variable list in the center, and to its left a stack of 6 scroll buttons that navigate the variable list. The righthand part is a ^multipurpose display^ whose contents are controlled by the 4 labeled buttons above it. Variable names suf- fixed by ^*^ have associated ^notes^; the topmost variable name also appears in the ^locator window^ positioned to the right of the Locate button. Above the locator window is a row of 5 ^launch buttons^; to the right is a ^simulated command line^. . Controls -------- . ^Locate^ searches for the variable whose name appears immediately to the right, and scrolls so that target variable appears in the variables window, in the top position, if possible. (Wildcards are acceptable for the target.) If the ^abc...^ box is checked the variable is located in alphabetic order. . ^Refresh^ updates all information in the varxplor dialog. Used primarily to al- ter the contents of the multipurpose display without scrolling. . ^abc...^ enables scrolling and locating in alphabetic order, if checked. (Pres- ent only if the ^alpha^ option is given.) . ^Data Type^ shows data types of variables in the multipurpose display below, as soon as a scroll button, or the Locate or Refresh button is clicked. The ^Format^, ^Value Label^, and ^Variable Label^ buttons operate in a similar way. . ^Scroll Buttons^ are the 6 buttons at the left edge of the variables window, us- ed to traverse the variable list: ^Top^ moves to the top of the list; ^PgUp^ shifts 6 positions upward in the list; ^Up^ shifts 1 position upward in the list; ^Dn^ shifts 1 position downward in the list; ^PgDn^ moves 6 positions downward in the list; ^Bottom^ places the last variable in the bottom posi- tion of the variables window. If the ^abc...^ box is checked, scrolling is in alphabetic order. . ^Launch Buttons^ are the 5 buttons aligned above the Locate button. Each applies the command shown on its face to the variable in the locator window. Each is configurable using one of the options ^b1()^ ... ^b5()^. . ^^ passes the contents of the simulated command line below it to Stata's command processor, after replacing all occurrences of the character `^?^' with variable name in the locator window. Example: if the simulated com- mand line contains `graph ? if ? > 10, bin(20)' and the name in the loca- tor window is xvar, clicking has the same effect as typing ^. graph xvar if xvar > 10, bin(20)^ on Stata's command line. Pressing on the keyboard also works. . ^Simulated Command Line^ is the wide edit box located above the multipurpose dis- play. Commands issued from here are recorded in a command history buffer; the small, undecorated buttons at the right end of the line scroll up and down in that buffer. [The default buffer size is 20.] . . Options ------- . ^alpha^ creates an alphabetized variable list at startup. This makes the ^abc...^ checkbox available, and also enables more efficient variable searching: startup will be a little slower, but Locates will be much faster. . ^b1(cmdstr)^ makes cmdstr the command issued by the leftmost launch button. Op- tions ^b2()^ ... ^b5()^ offer the same services for the other launch buttons, in left to right order. In each case, ^cmdstr^ is a string to be passed to Stata's command processor, after translating all occurrences of the char- acter `^?^' to the variable name in the locator window. The first word of the string is used to decorate the button's face. Example: Given ^. varxplor, b2(stem) b5(list ? if ? != . in 1/10, nolabel)^ and variable ygrp in the locator window, clicking the second button would issue the command `stem ygrp'. Clicking the rightmost button would have the same effect as typing ^. list ygrp if ygrp != . in 1/10, nolabel^ on Stata's command line. Note that b2(stem) and b2(stem ?) are equiva- lent. To assign a command with a null variable list, use more than one word in cmdstr, for example, ^b4(summarize ,)^. . . Warnings -------- . The variable list built at startup cannot be updated while varxplor is active. Hence, new variables can be created from within varxplor, but they cannot be added to the dropdown variable list. For similar reasons, these commands are prohibited: ^drop^, ^keep^, ^move^, ^order^, ^aorder^, ^rename^, ^renpfix^. . The left-quote (^`^) character must be avoided in launch button assignments, and on the simulated command line; its presence can cause a variety of problems. . . Author ------ . John R. Gleason, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY, USA (loesljrg@@accucom.net) [This is Version 1.0.1 (09Aug1999).] . . Also see -------- . Manual: ^[U] 19 Data^; ^[R] window^ On-line: help for @describe@