Re: st: Need help using global macros

[Michael Stewart <michaelstewartresearch@gmail.com>]

Hi Nick ,

Thank you very much for clarification of the code.
Also, thank you for the references.I appreciate  the reference.

On Sun, Nov 17, 2013 at 9:31 AM, Nick Cox <njcoxstata@gmail.com> wrote:
> This is nothing to do with your use of global macros. You defined
>
> local all x y
>
> and Stata takes you at your word. You meant
>
> local all `x'  `y'
>
> Here is a rewriting of your code, removing most use of macros.
>
> foreach z in  Z\Data\file_summer_1  Z\Data2\file_winter_1  {
>         use `z', clear
>         <stuff>
>         save "Y/Data/`z'_new.dta, replace
> }
>
> It is partly a matter of taste, but that is shorter and (I suggest)
> clearer. Note that  -clear- at the beginning was redundant.
>
> Your use of backward slashes was also a bad idea, as they have a dual
> role in Stata. It is better to use forward slashes instead. See in [U]
>
> 18.3.11 Constructing Windows filenames by using macros
>
> Stata uses the \ character to tell its parser not to expand macros.
> Windows uses the \ character as the directory path separator.
> Mostly, there is no problem using a \ in a filename. However, if you
> are writing a program that contains a Windows path in macro path and a
> filename in fname, do not assemble the final result as
> `path'\`fname'
> because Stata will interpret the \ as an instruction to not expand
> `fname'. Instead, assemble the final result as
> `path'/`fname'
> Stata understands / as a directory separator on all platforms.
>
> or alternatively
>
> SJ-8-3  pr0042  . . . . . . .  Stata tip 65: Beware the backstabbing backslash
>         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  N. J. Cox
>         Q3/08   SJ 8(3):446--447                                 (no commands)
>         tip to use forward slash instead of backslash for
>         directory and file names
>
> which is accessible at http://www.stata-journal.com/sjpdf.html?articlenum=pr0042
>
> Nick
> njcoxstata@gmail.com
>
> On 17 November 2013 13:37, Michael Stewart
> <michaelstewartresearch@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I am trying to use global macro, set up an output folder to save files
>> after data management .
>>
>> However,after data management,  I am not able to store the files as
>> names similar to their original names.
>>
>> My code is as follows.
>>
>> ************Code Start**********************
>> clear
>> macro drop _all
>> global output "Y\Data"
>> local x "Z\Data\file_summer_1"
>> local y "Z\Data2\file_winter_1"
>> local all  x y
>> foreach z in `all'{
>> use ``z'',clear
>> data management step
>> .
>> data management step
>>
>> save "$output\``z''_new.dta",replace
>> }
>> ************Code Ends*********************
>>
>> Problem : I am not able to store the files after data management in
>> the output folder as "file_summer_1_new" and  "file_winter_1".The
>> files are being stored as "x_new" and "y_new".
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-- 
Thank you ,
Yours Sincerely,
Mike.
*
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