Re: st: Encoding string variables: the one var that has no variance encodes differently than the rest

[David de Jong <davidcdejong@gmail.com>]

Thank you Steve!

David

On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 7:04 PM, Steve Nakoneshny <scnakone@ucalgary.ca> wrote:
> David,
>
> Stata encodes string vars in alphabetical order. If your vars encode "TRUE" as a 2, I would assume that "FALSE" would be a "1" in your encoded vars. Each variable is treated independently of the others; it encodes based on what is present, not what the contents of the string are and how it encoded the previous var.
>
> Knowing this limitation, you can do a quick fix of your non-variant var with something like -recode var1_encoded (2=1)-
> There are certainly other solutions, but this is internally consistent and fast (but ugly)
>
> Steve
>
> On 2013-05-07, at 4:50 PM, David de Jong wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> New Stata (12.1) user here, and I'm a first time poster. I hope
>> someone might be able to help with something. I've searched the web,
>> help files, and archives to no avail.
>>
>> I tried to encode a series of variables (type str5), with the following:
>>
>> qui foreach v of var var1-var10 {
>>    encode `v', generate(`v'_encoded)
>> }
>>
>> All of the variables seemed to convert as they should (to type long),
>> except for the only variable that also happened to have no variance:
>> all cases in the original variable had the string "TRUE." Instead of
>> converting to a "2" as did all instances of "TRUE" in the other
>> variables, it was converted to "1."
>>
>> The same problem appears when I try it like this:
>>
>> encode var1, generate(var1_encoded)
>>
>> I'd be very grateful for any insights into what might be going on.
>>
>> D. de Jong
>>
>> ~
>> Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology
>> University of Rochester
>> 498c Meliora Hall
>> Rochester, NY 14627
>> *
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>
>
>
> *
> *   For searches and help try:
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> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/



-- 
~
Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology
University of Rochester
498c Meliora Hall
Rochester, NY 14627

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/statalist-faq/
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/