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st: the math function, sum( ), and missing


From   "Jitian Sheu" <[email protected]>
To   <[email protected]>
Subject   st: the math function, sum( ), and missing
Date   Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:34:14 +0800

Dear listers:

Assume I have data as following:

Obs      x
1              1
2              .
3              .
4              1
5              .
6.             .
7              .
8              1
9              .
10            1

I know that the math function, sum( ), provides the running sum of a given
variable, and I know that Stata treat missing as value of �0�

Therefore, if I type:

Replace x=sum(x)

� for each observation of x, I am using the new sum(x) to replace it.
Therefore, the new data will be (after interactively execute it from Stata):

Obs      x
1              1
2              1
3              1
4              2
5              2
6.             2
7              2
8              3
9              3
10            4

My question is following:

Because Stata is doing thing observation by observation(according to manual
), when I am typing �replace something-
� Stata �should� do it observation by observation, 

Therefore, when using �replace x=sum(x)
� the first observation of x would be summation of all x�s observation from
1st obs up to the current observation, in this case�1
The logic to obtain the second observation of x is the same,
� new x[2]=old x[1]+old x[2]=1+0=1� we obtain the 2nd observation of x=1

When calculating x[3], the above new x[2] become a old one
Hence, by the same logic, new x[3]=old x[1]+old x[2]+old x[3]
Here, old x[1]=1, old x[3]=. (� missing=0 here)
However, old x[2] should be 1 instead of a missing value, right?
Therefore, I should have a new value of x[3]=1+1+)=2 instead of 1, right?
Can anyone tell me anything wrong here?

Thanks

JT



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