Karina Fortuny
>
> folder.
> I can define an array:
>
> local array "file1 file2 file3 .... fileN"
> and loop through the elements.
>
> But I do not want to type all the names (if there are
> 50 or so; it's possible to make typos, and it's
> difficult to audit).
>
> Is it possible to define the array without listing the
> elements if the number of elements is known? Is it
> possible if the number is not known?
>
> I'm currently using STATA 7, but might be upgrading to
> STATA 8.
Here there is
1. a general question about what I will call lists --
the term "arrays" doesn't have a fixed meaning in Stata,
so far as I know; perhaps there is some sense carried
over here from use of Some Alternative Software which
I don't know or use
2. a particular question about handling
lists of files in a folder.
1. There are lots of tricks to handling lists,
even in Stata 7. In Stata 8, there are even more.
In either case, too many to list in an email.
2. Let me focus instead on files in a folder.
What OS are you using? I guess Windows.
Here is one idiosyncratic way to do this. I have
a little program, which we may call "oscmd".
program def oscmd
version 7
tempfile file
! `0' > `file'
type `"`file'"'
end
How does this work? At what Windows XP calls
the command prompt I can go
dir /b *.dta
to get a bare list of *.dta files in the
current directory. But don't fire that up: stay
in Stata. Install -oscmd- and type in Stata
oscmd dir /b *.dta
and a list of filenames will appear
in your results window. Now copy and paste
to the do file editor.
> "The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countess petals."
> - Kahlil Gibran
Shouldn't it be "countless"?
Nick
[email protected]
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