Thomas Heckelei <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm a stata beginner and have a recoding problem.
>
> 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?
You should be able to get the variable you want with -encode- or -egen-'s
group() function.
. encode strvarname, generate(newvar)
This -encode- command will create newvar as numeric. It will attach the string
values from your string variable to newvar as a value label.
. egen newvar = group(strvarname)
This -egen- command will give you a plain numeric newvar with no value label.
You could actually add the ", label" option and get the same result as the
above -encode- command.
--Shannon Driver
[email protected]
*
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
