Cross sectional units in my panel data set are currently identified by
names (string variables). I want to make an integer variable out of it such
that it has a new (ascending) value for each new unit. All the standard
routines to "destring" and recode that I could find looking at the help
file would require me to type all the names (>400) at least once.
It might be important to know that the number of time observations differ
between units (unbalanced).
Is there any possibility to do this within state or do I better go back to
excel or gauss for that?
Thanks for your help, Thomas
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Thomas Heckelei PhD
Assistant Professor, IMPACT Center and
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Washington State University
