For instance, i want to graph the real gdp of 26 african countries on a histogram or bar. When i tried, it said type mismatch i have tried the real and the encode commands, none of which are working. In a case where your string variables are in fact strings e. How do i convert string variables to numeric variables in stata. Stata s data management features give you complete control. Not least, most statistical procedures just do not accept string variables. This allows you to specify how you would like missing values in a string variable to b handled when autorecoded. Also, the replace option of tostring doesnt take other parameters.
You can, however, extract one or more characters a substring from them, glue them together concatenate and a couple of other functions. Java how to design login and register form in java. Spss string function converts numeric values to string values. In fact, substr is all you need if you only need a part of a string, e. Data analysis with python and pandas convert string category to numeric values tutorial 6.
Storage types are str6 and str, and display formats are %9s and %s, respectively. How can i quickly convert many string variables to numeric variables. There are two cases in which you will want to convert string variables to numeric. The great divide among data types in stata is between numeric and string variables. If a variable is string, then typically stata refuses to do calculations. How can i quickly convert many string variables to numeric. Most of the time, which kind you want to use for particular variables is clear and unproblematic, but surprisingly often, users face difficulties in making the right decision or need to convert variables from one kind to another. There are no system missing values in string variables. Theyre useful if your string variables contains a lot. When i add the variable to the dataset, stata recognizes it as a string variable. The difference between string and numeric variables is crucial due to the fact that variable type dictates what you can or cannot do with a variable. String variables can hold an arbitrary number of bytes.
I need them converted to numeric variables so that i can generate a new variable with them. If you have a string variable and want to convert it to a numeric variable, you can use the encode command. Written and illustrated tutorials for the statistical software spss. Like so, working with string variables in spss is super easy. How can i convert string variables to numeric variables in. The second command formats the numeric value so that when stata displays the date, it is in a form that is easy for humans to read.
Because the variable score is a string variable, we cannot calculate a mean, etc. If you have more than 67,784 unique values of the string variables that you are encoding, encode will complain. If you have questions about using statistical and mathematical software at indiana university, contact the uits. This chapter discusses the properties and uses of global numeric and string variables. Dates in string form, identifiers and categorical variables, and pure numeric content trapped in string form need different actions. One method of converting numbers stored as strings into numerical variables is to use a string function called real that translates numeric values stored as strings into numeric values stata can recognize as such. String variables may contain letters, numbers and other characters.
Often when importing data, stata can mistake a numeric variable for a string variable. With a force option, datasets containing numeric variables may also be transposed. Stata is a complete, integrated statistical software package that provides everything you need for data science. And, you can choose a perpetual licence, with nothing more to buy ever. In spss, how do i convert between numeric variables and. Spss variable types ssps has two variable types, namely numeric and string. Here, numeric variables can be changed to a different numeric type, and string variables to a different string type i. I use stata and i need assistance on how to graph selected variables numeric on country basis string. How do i convert string variables to numeric variables in. This module should be installed from within stata by typing ssc install multencode. This command is used to convert string variables into numeric variables and vice a versa. Basic video for converting many string variables to numeric using encode syntax in stata. Note that while using list, and some other data display commands, produces values that look like string dates, the actual values stored by stata are numeric. String variables that seemingly should be numeric require some care.
How can i graph string and numeric variables together in. Recode recodes the string variable sex into the numeric variable nsex. Numeric variables contain only numbers and are suitable for numeric calculations such as addition and multiplication. First off, you can convert a string into a numeric variable in variable view as shown below. How can i convert string variables to numeric variables in stata. Stata is not sold in modules, which means you get everything you need in one package. In spss, recoding categorical string variables to numeric codes and converting blank strings to missing values can be done automatically using automatic recode. Stata for econ capstone stata research guides at bates. For the fine points of programming with global variables, see accessing global variables and waves on page iv59.
Guide from ucla stats consulting, with chart of tests by number and type of independent and dependent variables. When stata does this, the number will look right when you browse, but attempts to run commands will turn up zero. The string option at the end allows it to be a string rather than a numeric value. Convert spss string variables into numeric ones the right way. I have two variables in stata, both numeric variables that have somehow been recorded as string variables. When coding these steps in stata, users nd that stata does not allow string values in matrices. Dec 01, 2016 this video demonstrates how to convert categorical string variables to labeled numeric variables. To convert a string variable to a numeric variable num, use the number function, for example. You may even get the cryptic message no observations, which here means no numeric. If you have questions about using statistical and mathematical software at indiana university, contact the uits research applications and deep learning team. Reed college stata help changing string variables to. How can i turn a string variable containing dates into a. How to recode a byte variable to a string variable in stata. Instructor in this session,were going to explore string variables,and learn how can use statato manipulate string information.
Cox and newton 2014 provide a detailed description of indispensable tools for dealing with lists and macros. Instructor in this session,were going to explore string variables,and learn how can use stata to manipulate string information. The first line of syntax reads in the dataset shown above. Basic video for converting many string variables to numeric using encode syntax in stata with using loops. The program can process a large number of cases more efficiently with the numeric variable nsex than it can with the string variable sex. How can i graph string and numeric variables together in stata. In the i option, you list all identifying variables. This video demonstrates how to convert categorical string variables to labeled numeric variables. Spss how to convert string variables into numeric ones. But today i found a more convenient way of splitting numbers by using nsplit dan blanchette. Users often find that stata is reading in most, or even all, variables as string variables, when most, or even all, areor should benumeric. There are no other variable types in spss than string.
You may even get the cryptic message no observations, which here means no numeric values on which to do that. The following document provides an example of how to create. Quickly master the trick with a stepbystep example on downloadable practice data. You can call it whatever you want, but the variable name goes inside the j option. How to convert a string variable to a numeric variable duration. Convert string var to numeric var destring encode english version. Numeric variables are doubleprecision floating point an d can be real or complex. How can i change the value stored in local macro from string to numeric. String data is commonand examples include geographical information,gender information, think m, think f,or possibly date information.
Stata is a complete, integrated software package that provides all your data science needsdata manipulation, visualization, statistics, and reproducible reporting. How to convert categorical string variables to labeled numeric variables. The easiest way to convert string variables to numeric form is to use the encode command. Fortunately, stata offers some easy ways for converting string to numeric variables and vice versa. I suspect you want to do this but without seeing your variable. Running this command will cause stata to make a new numeric categorical variable wherein the data has labels that correspond to the old string values. I suspect you want to do this but without seeing your variable names its just guesswork. We wish to run a regression of high blood pressure on race, sex, and age group. Users often find that stata is reading in most, or even all, variables as string variables, when most, or even all, areor should be numeric. So i thought of converting every single variable from string to numeric with the gencommand and then copy the data from excel again to the created numeric variables into the data editor, but it also did not work out so easily when copying it. To do this, you need to create a new variable using the compute command. Oct 05, 2010 to concatenate is to join the characters of 2 or more variables from end to end.
As example, suppose we have the variables var1, var2, and var3. How can i change a string variable into a numeric variable. The stata commands that well be using are the following, destring and tostring which convert string variables to numeric variables and back. Harrison 2006 acknowledges this issue and suggests an algorithm that relies on the listing of the string characteristics of variables. Converting string variables to numeric spss code fragments this shows how to convert a string variable race to a numeric variable racen using two methods, the first a bit simpler but more cumbersome, the second method more streamlined but a bit trickier. Stata module to encode multiple string variables into numeric, statistical software components s456993, boston college department of economics, revised 21 jan 2009. Aug 05, 2019 the stata command destring and encode could be used to convert string variables to numeric variables. The column provides a stepbystep guide explaining how to convert them oras the case may meritto leave them as they are.
For stata, a string is any data characterthat is not a number or missing value denoted by the full stop. They take up more memory and are not useful for your regressions, etc. I know this happens because the macro stored is a string. Ive tried converting some variables in a dataset of about 200k observations from string to numeric the following ways. Stata is a complete, integrated software package that provides all your data science needsdata manipulation, visualization, statistics, and automated reporting. To concatenate is to join the characters of 2 or more variables from end to end. If you have a string variable that has only numbers in it, then you can alternatively use the real function.
Dec 06, 2011 stata always codes them as string although they are numeric in excel. Examples of these function include taking the mean, discretizing a continuous variable, and counting how many from a set of variables have missing values. I cant apply it to many variables at once, so it may take way more effort than necessary. It then alphabetizes that list and assigns numeric codes to each entry. The stata command egen, which stands for extended generation, is used to create variables that require some additional function in order to be generated. There are several ways that you can change a string variable into a numeric variable. For stata, a string is any data characterthat is not a numberor missing value denoted by the full stop.
In splitting variables, string or numeric, i would like to echo nick coxs comment in splitting numbers, the bottom line is just standard. You can recognize these in the data editor because they will be colored red. If the variable is actually a numeric value that just happens to be stored as a string, see our faq. Working with variables stata research guides at bates. String variables may contain numbers, letters and other characters. The storage type of variables can be changed with the help of the recast command. Changing string variables to numbers in stata youtube. For instance, i want to graph the real gdp of 26 african. Even though stata can handly string variables, it is clear in many respects that numeric variables are much preferred. The variable does not contain nonnumeric characters.
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