Re: st: Importing data into Stata

["b. water" <barleywater@hotmail.com>]

Stata 8.2 Window XP Pro SP2.

Thanks to Richard Goldstein & Nick Cox for their advice. Split and parse 
with destring works well and overcome my defective substr (see below). Here 
are my substr tries (v1 is my data authors (year) variable following 
insheet) and the accompanying error messages:

. substr(v1,-6,.)
unrecognized command:  substr
r(199);

. substr("v1",-6,.)
unrecognized command:  substr
r(199);

. substr("abcdef",2,3)
unrecognized command:  substr
r(199);

Any explanation for the error messages? The last example was taken straight 
from the manual [R] functions substr(s,n1,n2).

Kind regards,
bw


> From: Richard Goldstein <richgold@ix.netcom.com>
> Reply-To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> Subject: Re: st: Importing data into Stata
> Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:25:05 -0500
>
> use the -split- command on your three variables; then use the substr 
> function to strip off the parentheses from the year variable
>
> Rich
>
> b. water wrote:
>
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Stata 8.2 Window XP Pro SP2.
> >
> > I want to import into Stata a data set saved as a text file, which 
> > contained data in the following structure:
> >
> > Abrams (1999)    0/31    5/232
> > Greenland (1996)    115/2131    123/8751
> > Di Arozio (1999)    4/12    21/483
> >
> > i.e. authors space year (in bracket) tab number nospace forward/slash 
> > nospace number tab number nospace forward/slash nospace number. I want to 
> > end up with six columns of variables in Stata i.e. authors year (without 
> > brackets) number number number number.
> >
> > I am at lost as to what to do with what looks like a very structured data 
> > set and should be able to be accomplished without difficulty. I checked 
> > [U] 24 Commands to input data and [R] infile, infix and insheet for help 
> > but without success.
> >
> > I tried to copy and paste into stata editor and ended up with three 
> > columns of variable i.e. authors and years, number/number and 
> > number/number. In this situation, I do not know how (beyond me - to create 
> > a do-file) to 'clean' the data e.g. 'demerging' authors and years from one 
> > column to two columns and likewise for number/number from one column to 
> > number number in two separate columns.
> >
> > Would be grateful for any help and advice.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > bw
> >
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