define a new directory with "local" command

[Flavie L]

Hi everybody,
I am a new (french) user of Stata software.
I know it is possible to cut short some pathway for open a data file but I struggle to manage it.
Someone can help me? I use Stata 11


I did :

clear
local pathdata "C:\Users\Documents\data"
use `pathdata'\ch.dta
=> But the data file didn't open
Stata said to me "file \ch.dta not found"


On the other hand, when I write down
use "C:\Users\Documents\data\ch.dta"
=> my data file called ch open

Thank you for you help

[Maarten Buis]

A potential problem with using macros in file paths is that the backslash is also used as an escape character that prevents Stata from evaluating local macros. The solution is to use forward slashes. For more see: http://www.stata-journal.com/sjpdf.h...iclenum=pr0042

However, I don't think that that is the problem here. Instead I suspect that you have this in a .do file and ran that do file line by line. A local macro is local, so it exist as long as a section of a .do file is run and is gone as soon as Stata stops running that section of the .do file. The solution is to run at least the local definition and its use together. Better yet, just make sure you can run your entire do file in one go and do that.

[Oded Mcdossi]

Maarten gave you very good advice on using macros in file paths. I also recommend to change the working directory once and then use files without the full path. Type help cdfor more information.
The problem with your syntax is the quotation marks:
clear
local pathdata "C:\Users\Documents\data"
use "`pathdata'\ch.dta"

[Flavie L]

Thank you both of you!
Actually Maarten was right.
Before I ran
local pathdata "C:\Users\Documents\data"
and then
use `pathdata'\ch.dta

Now I run the both command together and It perfectly work!

I'm happy to be part of this forum. I think I will use it often
See you later
Flavie