st: [9.2] mkmat rownames

[Keith Dear <keith.dear@anu.edu.au>]

I have a dataset that contains, in part:
. list tapm min max in 1/15

     +-----------------------------+
     |  tapm        min        max |
     |-----------------------------|
  1. |  tavg   9.281472   33.19886 |
  2. |  tmax   14.53456   41.24549 |
  3. |  tmin   .6966457   27.99766 |
  4. |  havg   1.905087   19.26358 |
  5. |  hmax   2.254643   23.64934 |
     |-----------------------------|
  6. |  ravg   18.82322   95.66055 |
  7. |  rmax   29.75645        100 |
  8. |    ws   .8907141   11.97882 |
  9. |  oavg   1.705984     52.421 |
 10. |  omax   5.090116    133.497 |
     |-----------------------------|
 11. |  navg   .0532477   25.27975 |
 12. |  nmax   .1555686   81.82613 |
 13. |  pavg   1.754097   39.62774 |
 14. |  pmax   2.989739   136.7765 |
 15. | o4max   3.433426   115.7704 |
     +-----------------------------+

I want to save the (min, max) values in a 15x2 matrix with rownames 
from variable tapm.

This doesn't work:
. mkmat tapm min max in 1/15, mat(R)
varlist:  tapm:  string variable not allowed
r(109);

I can get the numbers in ok:
. mkmat min max in 1/15, mat(R)
. mat list R

R[15,2]
           min        max
 r1  9.2814722   33.19886
 r2  14.534559  41.245491
 r3  .69664574  27.997656
 r4  1.9050874   19.26358
 r5  2.2546427  23.649343
 r6  18.823215  95.660553
 r7  29.756449        100
 r8  .89071411  11.978825
 r9  1.7059844  52.421001
r10   5.090116  133.49698
r11  .05324766  25.279753
r12   .1555686  81.826134
r13  1.7540972  39.627739
r14  2.9897394  136.77647
r15  3.4334259  115.77041

But how do I get the names in? Not like this, for example:
. mat rownames R = tapm
. mat list R

R[15,2]
            min        max
tapm  9.2814722   33.19886
tapm  14.534559  41.245491
tapm  .69664574  27.997656
tapm  1.9050874   19.26358
tapm  2.2546427  23.649343
tapm  18.823215  95.660553
tapm  29.756449        100
tapm  .89071411  11.978825
tapm  1.7059844  52.421001
tapm   5.090116  133.49698
tapm  .05324766  25.279753
tapm   .1555686  81.826134
tapm  1.7540972  39.627739
tapm  2.9897394  136.77647
tapm  3.4334259  115.77041

I suppose I could do it with a loop that builds a macro containing 
the 15 words, but am I overlooking a better way?
Keith


Dr Keith B.G. Dear
Senior Fellow in Biostatistics
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Tel: 02 612 54865, Fax: 02 612 50740
http://nceph.anu.edu.au/Staff_Students/staff_pages/dear.php
CRICOS provider #00120C

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/