st: RE: changing formatting of values stored in r()

["Nick Cox" <n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk>]

There are two issues here. 

1. Your error message arises because you need to specify the -modify-
option of -label-. 
The value label already exists, so you can't overwrite it willy-nilly
without signalling that you know that you are changing it. 

2. Independently of that, your manipulations need an extra detail. As
discussed recently on this list, something like `r(r1)' has a local
macro persona -- which is why your first syntax worked -- but something
like 

`string(`r(r1)',`"%9.2f"'

does not get extended the same generosity. You need 

`= string(`r(r1)',"%9.2f")'

Note that I took out a stray ` (left quote). The `= ' serve to indicate
that whatever is inside should be evaluated on the fly.

Incidentally, I am surprised at the statement that 

display `string(`r(r1)',`"%9.2f")'

works and have not been able to reproduce that. 

Note that r() results are ephemeral, so all this must be done
immediately after -_pctile-. 

Nick 
n.j.cox@durham.ac.uk 

Leslie Liang

I'm trying to label a variable by the values stored in r() but am having
difficulties getting the labels formatted correctly

xtile var2=var1, nq(5)
_pctile var1, nq(5)
ret list
lab define var2 1 "<`r(r1)'" 2 "`r(r1)'<`r(r2)'" 3 "`r(r2)'<`r(r3)'" 4
"`r(r3)'<`r(r4)'" 5 "<`r(r4)'"

I have a new variable, var2, split in 5 quantiles and I would like to
label them based on the the r() returned from -_pctile-. I then proceed
to define the labels as shown above, but the number of dec places are
too many. I would just like them to follow "%9.2f" but i can't seem to
specify it anywhere.

alternatively, I have tried:

lab define var2 1 `"`string(`r(r1)',`"%9.2f"')'"'
invalid attempt to modify label
r(180);

but I keep getting an error. Is there something wrong with my syntax? I
am still able to use -display `string(`r(r1)',`"%9.2f"'- to get the
formatting I desire, but I can't seem to fit it into -lab define-.


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