st: RE: -using- option for program executed by -simulate-

["Steichen, Thomas J." <SteichT@rjrt.com>]

Phil,

I don't know about a restriction but there is a work-a-round:

program foo, rclass
    syntax varname, using(string) diff(real) sd(real)
    drop _all
    use `"`using'"'
    tempvar y
    gen `y' = `diff'*`varlist' + (invnorm(uniform())*`sd')
    ttest `y', by(`varlist')
    ret scalar p = r(p)
end
local myfile "xxx.dta"
simul p = r(p), reps(100): foo group, using(`"`myfile'"') diff(1) sd(1)

Tom

-----------------------------------
Thomas J. Steichen
steicht@rjrt.com
-----------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2..harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Phil Schumm
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:53 PM
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Subject: st: -using- option for program executed by -simulate-

Often when performing simulations, it is helpful to start with an
existing dataset and then add to it, rather than having to create the
entire dataset from scratch at each iteration.  It would then seem
logical to pass the location of the saved dataset into one's program
via the -using- option.  However, for some reason, I can't seem to
get that to work (as demonstrated by this simple example):


.. input group

          group
   1. 0
   2. 1
   3. end

.. expand 16
(30 observations created)

.. tempfile myfile

.. save `"`myfile'"'
file /tmp/S_03268.000001 saved

..
.. program foo, rclass
   1.     syntax varname using/, diff(real) sd(real)
   2.     drop _all
   3.     use `"`using'"'
   4.     tempvar y
   5.     gen `y' = `diff'*`varlist' + (invnorm(uniform())*`sd')
   6.     ttest `y', by(`varlist')
   7.     ret scalar p = r(p)
   8. end

..
.. simul p = r(p), reps(100): foo group using `"`myfile'"', diff(1) sd(1)
using not allowed
r(101);


I believe this error is being thrown by -_prefix_command-, as called
from within -simulate-.  Is there a known restriction against using
the -using- option in this context?


-- Phil

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