Re: st: how does insheet determine datatypes?

[Jens Lauritsen <jl@epidata.dk>]

Insheet is indeed very efficient in finding the correct format of raw data.

The only situation giving problems for me is reading raw files with a 
unique 10 digit person identifier. Handling this large integer as a key 
in merge gives problems. To force the variable to a string either create 
a dictionary or use the mechanism described by Bill Gould, namely to 
have just one record where the column contains letters.

I edit the raw file manually by adding a record at the top after 
variable names or (better) use stata to add that line:
cpr    v1    v2    v3
0xx1201956    1    2    2            // this record will force the first 
variable to string
0101201956    1    2    2
1101201954    1    2    1
etc .... rest of records
and then read as :
insheet using myfile
drop in 1  
....and I have the cpr variable as a string without the "fake" record

Jens Lauritsen, MD, PhD
University of Southern Denmark
Odense University Hospital, Denmark




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