How do I create a macro in Stata?

A Stata macro is a box you put text in. You then use what’s in the box in subsequent commands. (The real trick is getting a single command to run multiple times with a different bit of text in the box each time–we’ll get there). The macros we’ll use are “local” macros.

What is a local macro in Stata?

Local macros are ephemeral macros. When you work with do-file editor, local macros are valid only in a single execution of commands in do-files or ado-files. Yet, when you work interactively, they persist until you delete them or the session is ended. Global macros are persisting macros.

What is a global macro Stata?

In Stata, a global macro is something that is stored in memory and can be used anytime during a Stata session by reference to its name (a local macro differs basically inasmuch it can be used only within a circumscribed piece of a program or a do-file).

What is the local command in Stata?

The command local tells Stata to keep everything in the command line in memory only until the program or do-file ends.

What is R () in Stata?

Notice that instead of using the actual value of the mean of read in this command, we used the name of the returned result (i.e. r(mean)), Stata knows when it sees r(mean) that we actually mean the value stored in that system variable. This is because Stata uses the r(…) as a placeholder for a real value.

What is preserve in Stata?

When preserve is issued, the user’s data are preserved. The data in memory remain unchanged. When the program or do-file concludes, the user’s data are automatically restored. After a preserve, the programmer can also instruct Stata to restore the data now with the restore command.

What is a scalar in Stata?

of observations in your data. Stata scalars are named entities that store single numbers or strings, which may include missing values.

Can we undo in Stata?

It’s also very difficult to recover from mistakes—there’s no “undo” command in Stata. A do file contains the same commands you’d type in interactive Stata, but since they’re written in a permanent file they can be debugged or modified and then rerun at will.

Can you preserve twice in Stata?

1 Answer. No, preserving twice without restoring in-between simply throws an error: sysuse auto, clear preserve drop mpg preserve already preserved r(621); However, you can do something similar using temporary files.

What is r mean in Stata?

How do I write a simple macro in Stata?

How to write a simple macro in Stata. A macro in Stata begins with the word “global” or “local”. The command global tells Stata to store everything in the command line in its memory until you exit Stata. If you open another data set before exiting, the global macro will still be in memory.

What happens to the global macro when I exit Stata?

If you open another data set before exiting, the global macro will still be in memory. The command local tells Stata to keep everything in the command line in memory only until the program or do-file ends.

How do I loop through a list of variables in Stata?

While generic lists can contain variable names, you have to type out all the names individually. If you tell Stata that the list you want to loop over is an official Stata varlist you can use standard varlist shortcuts, like x* for all variables that begin with x and x-z for all the variables from x to z.

How do I use the word continuous in Stata?

The command local tells Stata to use the word continuous to represent the variables educat, exper, wage, and age. I then substitute the word continuous for the variable names in the the last lines.