st: saving graph with a unique filename

[tashi lama <ltashi32@hotmail.com>]

Hello all, 

            I have a do file as follows

 

/* begin example.do */

args start_date end_date

odbc query rr 

odbc load,exec("select distinct read_date as date, count(*) as hits from table1 where read_date between `start_date' and `end_date' group by read_date")

tsset date 

list

tsline hits, saving(*, replace)

 

 

when you run             

 do example 01jan2010 03jan2010, you will get 

 

 

  date                 hits

01jan2010               4

02jan2010               5

03jan2010               9

 

 

and of course the line graph. I would like to save the graph as a unique filename everytime I run it. One way I could think of doing that is save the graph with strings in the args as a filename. So, 

the graph in the example will be saved as 01jan201003jan2010.gph and if you run the stata like do example 01jan2011 31dec2011, the graph will be saved as 01jan201131dec2011.gph and etc...The problem 

is how do you do it? if args was a marco, then I could have said

 

 tsline hits, saving(`args', replace)

but, args isn't. Is there any way to have strings in arguments as filename and if there are other ways to create a unique file, please share...

 

Thank you, 

Tashi  

 

  		 	   		  
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