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From | Michael McCulloch <mm@pinestreetfoundation.org> |
To | statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu |
Subject | Re: st: editing string variables to remove letters and keep only numbers |
Date | Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:51:45 -0700 |
Thanks Nick. On the second inrange argument, does the "!" belong there? When I run that forval command, an invalid syntax r(198) code is returned. Best wishes, Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD -- Pine Street Foundation, since 1989 124 Pine Street | San Anselmo | California | 94960-2674 P: (415) 407-1357 | F: (206) 338-2391 | http://www.PineStreetFoundation.org On Jun 17, 2013, at 4:10 PM, Nick Cox wrote: > There are is a dedicated functions in -egenmore- (SSC) (-sieve()-) > but let's take it from first principles. > > gen length = length(strvar) > su length, meanonly > local lmax = r(max) > > gen numstr = "" > gen letterstr = "" > > forval i = 1/`max' { > replace numstr = numstr + substr(strvar, `i', 1) if > inrange(real(substr(strvar, `i', 1)), 0, 9) > replace letterstr = letterstr + substr(strvar, `i', 1) if > !inrange(real(substr(strvar, `i', 1)), 0, 9) > } > Nick > njcoxstata@gmail.com > > > On 17 June 2013 23:53, Michael McCulloch <mm@pinestreetfoundation.org> wrote: >> I have a variable in my dataset that (due to changes in data entry practices over time) contains several styles of the variable ID: >> >> - a number (e.g. 164) >> - a letter-number combination (e.g. e64) >> - a comma-separated letter-number combination (e.g. e64,e65) >> >> In seeking to (A) remove the letters, and (B) separate the comma-separated into two separate variables, ID1 and ID2, I wrote the following argument: >> >> . split ID, p(",") >> . gen str id1_new ="" // make new ID to separate out the "e" from ID >> . replace id1_new=substr(id1,2,3) >> >> >> This successfully splits ID into ID1 and ID2. >> >> This also works if: >> a 3-digit variable has a preceding letter (e64 is changed to 64) >> >> However, in the case of a 3-digit values WITHOUT PRECEDING LETTER, the first digit is removed (164 is changed to 64). >> >> Any suggestions would be appreciated. >> >> >> Best wishes, >> Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD >> >> -- >> Pine Street Foundation, since 1989 >> 124 Pine Street | San Anselmo | California | 94960-2674 >> P: (415) 407-1357 | F: (206) 338-2391 | http://www.PineStreetFoundation.org >> >> >> * >> * 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/ > * > * 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/ * * 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/