Dear All:
I have noticed a rather interesting phenomenon for which I don't have an explanation. I'm hoping someone might have an answer. I have the following do file:
sum tmp_dp
local max
display `max'
return list
local max = r(max)
display `max'
If I select a line from the do file and run each line separately, I get the output below. When I try to display the local macro variable `max'; STATA tells me it is empty.
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. sum tmp_dp
Variable | Obs Mean Std. Dev. Min Max
-------------+--------------------------------------------------------
tmp_dp | 179 2.888268 1.3897 1 6
.
end of do-file
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. local max
.
end of do-file
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. display `max'
.
end of do-file
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. return list
scalars:
r(N) = 179
r(sum_w) = 179
r(mean) = 2.888268156424581
r(Var) = 1.931266084991526
r(sd) = 1.389699998198002
r(min) = 1
r(max) = 6
r(sum) = 517
.
end of do-file
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. local max = r(max)
.
end of do-file
. do "C:\DOCUME~1\spatil3\LOCALS~1\Temp\STD06000000.tmp"
. display `max'
However, when I run the entire do file, STATA tells me `max' is now set to 6 (which is what it should be in my example). Output below.
.
. sum tmp_dp
Variable | Obs Mean Std. Dev. Min Max
-------------+--------------------------------------------------------
tmp_dp | 179 2.888268 1.3897 1 6
. local max
. display `max'
. return list
scalars:
r(N) = 179
r(sum_w) = 179
r(mean) = 2.888268156424581
r(Var) = 1.931266084991526
r(sd) = 1.389699998198002
r(min) = 1
r(max) = 6
r(sum) = 517
. local max = r(max)
. display `max'
6
My question is why is `max' in the 1st situation blank, but in the 2nd situation assigned a value?
Thanks,
Susheel Patil
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Susheel P. Patil, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center
Asthma and Allergy Center
5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Room 4B.41
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-550-2335
Fax:410-550-3374
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