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RE: st: RE: creating a newvar with sequential values from a bunch of string variables


From   "Nick Cox" <[email protected]>
To   <[email protected]>
Subject   RE: st: RE: creating a newvar with sequential values from a bunch of string variables
Date   Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:27:25 +0100

Thanks for adding extra detail. 

My comments still stand. 

What you tried is legal, 
but will not do what you hope it does. 

As I pointed out in another posting, 
Richard's suggestion is just illegal. 

"71600"/"71699" is not a legal string 
expression, so violates -replace-'s 
syntax. 

Your guess that there should be 
a way of specifying a range of string 
values was correct. In addition to 
my earlier suggestion, consider

forval i = 1/4 { 
	replace newvar = 1 if inrange(var`i',"71600","71699") 
} 

Nick 
[email protected] 

Suzy
 
> 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 
> >[email protected] 
> >
> >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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