Re: st: RE: creating a newvar with sequential values from a bunchof string variables

[Suzy <scott_788@wowway.com>]

The do believe the variables are  string variables -  the variable font 
is in red and many other values within the variable  look like strings 
(eg. v8123, 3401-, e78345).

Each of these string variables may or may not have the same value for  
particular observations. For example, stringvar1 may have "71611" for 
observation #10 and  stringvar2 might have "71611" for observation #2 
and stringvariable3 might have "71611" for observation # 3,000. and 
stringvar4 might not have any "71611" for any observation.

I'm creating a newvar which can account for all the  "71611" values 
across all the string variables. In other words,  the newvar must 
include all values from "71600" to "71699" across all the stringvars (of 
which any stringvar may or may not include these values).

The reason I thought it was impossible  to have no changes is because 
for example, the value of "71623" across all string variables resulted 
in 10 observations for my newvar. Newvar =44 is just a category I 
created to account for the value of  "71623" across all the string 
variables.  [output eg. replace newvar=44 if var1 =="71623" | 
var2=="71623" | var33=="71623" | var4=="71623" (10 real changes made)]

So for example,  newvar=1 could have represented all the "71600" values 
across all string variables, whereas newvar=2 could represent all 
"71601" values across all string variables and newvar=3 could represent 
all "71602" values across all string variables, etc, etc...

These are just examples of what's been done - not actual categories per 
se. Thus, newvar is a categorical variable that is  accounting for all 
the values "71600 to 71699" across all the string variables. The code I 
had used to account for all of it in one shot didn't work,

replace newvar=1 if var1 =="71600/71699" | var2=="71600/71699" | var3=="71600/71699" | var4=="71600/71699" (0 changes made)

but Richard's idea of closing each value in parenth might work...I 
haven't tried it yet.

replace newvar=1 if var1 =="71600"/"71699" | var2=="71600"/"71699" | var3=="71600"/"71699" | var4=="71600"/"71699" 
Hope this e-mail explanation is easier to understand. I am using Stata 9 (windows xp).

Thank you.





Nick Cox wrote:


> It's not impossible at all. Stata takes literally
> what you include between double quotes " ". Evidently 
> you had no strings with values like "71600/71699". 
> However, it may be that what you want is accomplishable 
> by something like  
> forval i = 1/4 { 
> 	replace newvar = 1 if inrange(real(var`i'),71600,71699) 
> } 
> but like Richard Williams I am not completely clear from your 
> examples what exactly you do want. 
> Nick 
> n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk 
> Suzy
>
>  
>
> > I created a new variable (newvar) that is supposed to be a collection 
> > of  sequential values from different string variables. The 
> > values that 
> > are included in the new variable  go from 71600 to 71699. I've been 
> > doing it manually for hours- replacing value after value. see example 
> > for value # 71623:
> >
> > replace newvar=44 if var1 =="71623" | var2=="71623" | 
> > var33=="71623" | 
> > var4=="71623"
> > (10 real changes made)
> >
> >
> > I tried to do it this way - see example:
> >
> > replace newvar=1 if var1 =="71600/71699" | var2=="71600/71699" | 
> > var3=="71600/71699" | var4=="71600/71699"
> > (0 changes made)
> >
> > But no changes occurred, which is impossible.
> >
> > I'm hoping there is a simple and quick syntax for what I'd 
> > like to do. 
> > Ideally if newvar =1 with all the values from 71600 t0 71699 located 
> > from the existing variables (1-4) included in newvar  - then 
> > that would 
> > be less painful than what I've been doing.
> >
> > Any simple solution?? explicit code is appreciated!!
> >    
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