st: RE: destringing and replacing values for several variables

["Ann Miller" <MILLERA@hsph.harvard.edu>]

Dear Martin, 

Thank you very much for this reply. This one in particular worked beautifully and -encode- saved me several steps. 

Many thanks!
--Ann

>>> "Martin Weiss" <martin.weiss1@gmx.de> 4/21/2010 3:51 PM >>>

<>


Ann, you could -encode- one of those "hf_stage*" fellows outside of your
loops, and then apply the same -label- to everybody else inside a loop:



*******

encode hf_stage1, gen(hf_stage1numeric) label(myhflabel)

foreach var of varlist hf_stage2-hf_stage40{
	encode `var', gen(`var'1numeric) label(myhflabel)
}

la list myhflabel
ta  hf_stage1numeric
ta  hf_stage1numeric, nolabel
*******

If anybody wants to put himself/herself in Ann`s shoes, this is what her
data look like in my view:


*******
clear*
set obs 100

foreach var of newlist hf_stage1-hf_stage40{
	gen str10 `var'="Stage 1" 
	replace `var'="Stage 2" in 1/30	
	replace `var'="Stage 3" in 39/40	
	replace `var'="Stage 4" in 46/80	
}
*******



HTH
Martin


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu 
[mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of Ann Miller
Sent: Mittwoch, 21. April 2010 21:35
To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu 
Subject: st: destringing and replacing values for several variables

Dear Statalist, 

I am new to macros and the foreach looping and am trying to simplify my
life. I have a list of 40 or so variables (ex: hf_stage1 through hf_stage40)
that all have the same string coded values; "Stage 1" "Stage 2" "Stage 3"
"Stage 4". I want to change these values to 1, 2, 3 and 4, with value labels
of "Stage 1" "Stage 2" "Stage 3" and "Stage 4". What I have done in the past
is: 

 replace hf_stage1="1" if hf_stage1=="Stage 1"
 replace hf_stage1="2" if hf_stage1=="Stage 2", etc., 
destring hf_stage1,replace
 and for each value generate a label.

 I then have to repeat this for every variable (hf_stage2 through
hf_stage40). It works, but is time consuming and I sometimes make mistakes.
I feel sure there's a way to do this with macros and foreach but there's
something I'm missing so far. 

Here's what I've tried:

local varlistfoo "hf_stage1 hf_stage2 hf_stage3"



. foreach var of `varlistfoo' {
  2. replace  var= "1" if  var=="Stage 1"
  3. replace  var= "2" if  var=="Stage 2"
  4. replace  var= "3" if  var=="Stage 3"
  5. }
invalid syntax
r(198);

. foreach varname of varlist  hf_stage1 hf_stage2 hf_stage3{
  2. replace  varname= "1" if  varname=="Stage 1"
  3. replace  varname= "2" if  varname=="Stage 2"
  4. }
variable varname not found
r(111);


I can't even get the first step, let alone destringing and replacing! Any
advice you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.Thank you!
--Ann 

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