Change numeric value of a variable while keeping the label value

[Kerstin Schmidt]

Dear Statalist,

Using Stata 14 I am trying to change the numeric value of one variable while keeping the value label:

tab x

gives the value label of "yes".

tab x, nolabel

gives the numeric value of "111".


Now I want to change "111" to "1" without disregarding the value label and having to create a new variable. It would be something like the following command (which unfortunately does not work.):

recode consent (111 = 1 yes)

Any help is very much appreciated!

[William Lisowski]

This example may help.

. sysuse auto, clear
(1978 Automobile Data)

. keep foreign

. describe foreign

              storage   display    value
variable name   type    format     label      variable label
-------------------------------------------------------------------
foreign         byte    %8.0g      origin     Car type

. tab foreign

   Car type |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
------------+-----------------------------------
   Domestic |         52       70.27       70.27
    Foreign |         22       29.73      100.00
------------+-----------------------------------
      Total |         74      100.00

. recode foreign (1=111)
(foreign: 22 changes made)

. describe foreign

              storage   display    value
variable name   type    format     label      variable label
-------------------------------------------------------------------
foreign         int     %8.0g      origin     Car type

. tab foreign

   Car type |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
------------+-----------------------------------
   Domestic |         52       70.27       70.27
        111 |         22       29.73      100.00
------------+-----------------------------------
      Total |         74      100.00

. label define origin 111 "Foreign", add

. tab foreign

   Car type |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
------------+-----------------------------------
   Domestic |         52       70.27       70.27
    Foreign |         22       29.73      100.00
------------+-----------------------------------
      Total |         74      100.00

.

[Rocio Fernandez Mendez]

Hi,
how about:

recode consent 111=1
label define consent 1"Yes" [plus other values"labels"], replace

[Kerstin Schmidt]

Perfect, thanks!!!