Re: st: eliminating hyphens in a data cell

["Michael Blasnik" <michael.blasnik@verizon.net>]

...
Given the example for the "all numbers" version of 061266276, it may actually be 
stored as a string.  If that is the case, then destring is not what you want. 
Instead:

replace FEIN=subinstr(FEIN,"-","",.)

Michael Blasnik


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Philipp Rehm" <philipp.rehm@gmx.de>
To: <statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: st: eliminating hyphens in a data cell



> destring FEIN, ignore(-) replace
>
>
> Ms. Marilyn Ibarra wrote:
> > I need to merge two data files by the variable FEIN (federal employer 
> > identification number).  In one file the FEINS are all numbers (for example: 
> > 061266276).  In the other file the FEINS have hyphens after the first two 
> > digits (for example: 06-1266276).  Does anyone know how I can get them to 
> > look the same in both files so I can do a merge by the FEIN variable?
> >
> > Thank you,
> > Marilyn.
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