st: moving averages question

[Rufus Peabody <rufus.peabody@gmail.com>]

I'm trying to create a moving average for a number of variables within  
a panel.   I set the data as time series  (tsset panelvar timevar) and  
used the appropriate -tssmooth ma- syntax.  However, I got the error  
message:

   _TS_p_delta_getnumb():  3499  strtoreal() not found
 _TS_p_delta_increment():     -  function returned error
           _TS_p_delta():     -  function returned error
                 <istmt>:     -  function returned error
r(3499);

I then tried using the lag function (L. ) as follows in hopes of  
creating a lag for each day.

foreach v of local var {
	tsset panelvar timevar
	egen lweek_`v'=mean(L(1/7).`v'), by(panelvar datevar)
}

Output was:

       panel variable:  panelvar (unbalanced)
        time variable:  timevar, 161 to 1459
                delta:  1 unit
Unknown function L()
 r(133);

I should note that I used the tssmooth fcn. within a loop like the one  
above.

Anybody have any idea what I can do for this?  Any help is appreciated.

I ended up doing the following, which I don't think is the easiest way  
to do this:

foreach v of local var {
	tsset panelvar timevar
	gen lweek_`v'=L1.`v'+L2.`v'+L3.`v'+L4.`v'+L5.`v'+L6.`v'+L7.`v' if  
L7.year==year
}


I also had a question about fitting a decay function using panel data  
for a specific variable which I posted previously twice but nobody  
ever responded.  If that isn't possible or  nobody knows how, I  
completely understand, but if I'm doing something wrong and offending  
people on the list, please let me know!

Thanks very much,

Rufus
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