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help for ^st5^ and ^st5set^                       @net:from http://www.stata.com/users/wgould!http://www.stata.com/users/wgould@
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Use Stata 5 ^st^ command in middle of Stata 6 ^st^ session
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        ^st5^  stata_5_st_command

        ^st5set, clear^

^st5^ and ^st5set^ are for use with survival-time data; set help @st@.  You must
^stset^ your data before using this command; see help @stset@.


Description
-----------

^st5^ temporarily changes a Stata 6 st dataset -- no matter how complex the
design -- to a Stata 5 st dataset and runs stata_5_st_command.  The dataset in
memory is unchanged when the command completes even if stata_5_st_command
changes it or stata_5_st_command fails.

^st5set^ permanently changes the Stata 6 st dataset in memory into a Stata 5 st
dataset.  Save your data before issuing this command.  After st5set, you can
run any Stata 5 st command, including commands that change the data in memory.


Warning
-------

^st5set^ is dangerous because it changes the data in memory.  Save your data
*BEFORE* using this command.

The danger is that you will ^st5set^ your data, do analysis in version 5 mode,
switch back to version 6 mode, but forget to reload your data.  DO NOT FORGET.
The changes ^st5set^ makes includes discarding observations that are irrelevant
to Stata 5 but that may be relevant to Stata 6.

^st5^, on the other hand, is perfectly safe.


Options
-------

^clear^ is not optional.  You are required to specify this option to indicate
    that you have read the warning above and have already saved your data.


Example
-------

When using ^st5^, you do not have to first set version 5:

        . ^st5 stsum^

The above will run the Stata 5 stsum command on the data.

When using st5set, you may set ^version 5^ before or after the ^st5set^ command,
but remember to save your data first, 

        . ^save hold^
        . ^version 5^
        . ^st5set, clear^
        . <any Stata 5 st commands you wish>
        . ^version 6^
        . ^use hold, clear^


Author
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William Gould, Stata Corp.
8 Feb 1999.


Also see
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On-line:  help for @stset@, @version@
