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Re: st: Log file with too much information


From   David Kantor <[email protected]>
To   [email protected]
Subject   Re: st: Log file with too much information
Date   Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:42:23 -0400

Hello,
I would add that SMCL is good for when you want to view you logs in a way that emulates what appeared on the screen -- with color and special border characters around tabulations and listings. You do that in the Stata Viewer (Try -help view-). (You may be able to print in that form as well.)

SMCL is also what goes into help files (.sthlp). I have, on one occasion, inserted example output into help files by cutting and pasting from SMCL logs.

But as one other responder (Don Spady) implied, SMCL is not for everyone. I, too, usually prefer text. While SMCL has advantages, it can only be used within Stata. Outside of Stata, as you have found, the additional formatting material gets in the way.

One particular operation I have often done it to compare two logs from different runs of a do-file -- with small changes to either the data or the do-file. The comparison is made outside of Stata, such as with the Windows fc command (or with some viewing or editing facitilty). Text logs are much more suitable for this operation. (In the past, the "primitive", text-based DOS editor could be used to rapidly switch between files, while keeping them aligned, allowing me to easily see the differences. Regrettably, this has gone extinct. Not all "progress" is improvement. P.S., it can be done in the Stata Viewer.)

HTH
--David

At 12:24 PM 4/22/2013, you wrote:
David is correct. In addition, start with the -help- for -log-

e.g.

 Full logs are recorded in one of two formats: SMCL (Stata Markup and
Control Language) or
    text (meaning ASCII).  The default is SMCL,

and then look at -translate- for after the fact conversion. If
interested in SMCL, proceed to -help smcl-.

Nick
[email protected]
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