Re: st: EGEN GROUP where order doesn't matter?

[Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com>]

Here is an example. You need to install -rowsort- first. -search
rowsort- to identify download location. The method applies to any
number of variables.

. l

     +-------------+
     | var1   var2 |
     |-------------|
  1. |    1      2 |
  2. |    2      1 |
  3. |    3      4 |
  4. |    4      3 |
     +-------------+

. rowsort var*, gen(svar1 svar2)

. l

     +-----------------------------+
     | var1   var2   svar1   svar2 |
     |-----------------------------|
  1. |    1      2       1       2 |
  2. |    2      1       1       2 |
  3. |    3      4       3       4 |
  4. |    4      3       3       4 |
     +-----------------------------+

. egen group = group(svar*)

. l

     +-------------------------------------+
     | var1   var2   svar1   svar2   group |
     |-------------------------------------|
  1. |    1      2       1       2       1 |
  2. |    2      1       1       2       1 |
  3. |    3      4       3       4       2 |
  4. |    4      3       3       4       2 |
     +-------------------------------------+

On Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 10:07 AM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> As I understand you, you seek a group identifier and your rules are
> that (e.g.) x_1 = 1 and x_2 = 2 are equivalent to x_2 = 1 and x_1 = 2.
> If so, -egen, group()- will not do what you want and there is no
> subverting it to do so through an option. Same point with any number
> of variables.
>
> You need another method. Perhaps -egen, rowtotal()- will do. Or you
> need to sort your variables across rows first so that you apply -egen,
> group()- to the row-sorted identifier data.
>
> There was a review of row stuff in
>
> SJ-9-1  pr0046  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Speaking Stata: Rowwise
>        (help rowsort, rowranks if installed) . . . . . . . . . . .  N. J. Cox
>        Q1/09   SJ 9(1):137--157
>        shows how to exploit functions, egen functions, and Mata
>        for working rowwise; rowsort and rowranks are introduced
>
> Nick
>
> Brandon, a.k.a. Don Ruby <goofnmick@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Note, I have 4-tuple identifiers, not just a pair.
>
>
>>> I understand that egen id=group(id1 id2) will create a list such that
>>> the pair (id1.1 id2.1)=1, (id1.2 id2.2)=2 etc. But, the order of the
>>> pair (id1 id2) matters so that the pair (id1.1 id2.1) will not yield
>>> the same value as (id2.1 id1.1).
>>>
>>> How can i make it so that the same value is generated, regardless of
>>> the varlist order?
>

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