spmap: Move legend position

[Megan Little]

Hi

I am using Stata 15.0. I am creating maps using spmap and want to move the position of the legend but don't see anything on this in the helpfile. I downloaded the shape maps files for South Africa and then adjusted the file to only include the perimeters of the map that I am interested in saving this as "nalcoord" and "naldb" (see below).

The variable, temp, and the two coordinate variables are below (just for observations 1-8 for simplicity):

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input float temp double(d14_longitude d14_latitude)
 1   29.76778   -31.01171
 2   29.76806    -31.0615
 3  29.776561  -29.051018
 6 30.2256401 -31.0056761
 8  30.194423  -30.962085
16   29.89055    -31.0671
19 30.8276417 -30.0593772
25  29.132649  -28.688167
end

My code to create the map is below

* Save the specific local municipalities I am interested in
use "$maps/rsadb_lm.dta", clear
keep if OBJECTID==15|OBJECTID==161|OBJECTID==162|OBJECTID==163|OBJECTID==40|OBJECTID==39|OBJECTID==38|OBJECTID==152|OBJECTID==168|OBJECTID==43|OBJECTID==42|OBJECTID==41|OBJECTID==55
save "$maps/naldb_lm.dta", replace
list OBJECTID
use "$maps/rsacoord_lm.dta", clear
keep if _ID==15|(_ID>=38&_ID<=64)|(_ID>=152&_ID<=156)|(_ID>=161&_ID<=175)|(_ID>=206&_ID<=207)
drop if _ID==164|_ID==165
save "$maps/nalcoord_lm.dta", replace

*Create the map
spmap using "$maps/nalcoord_lm.dta", id(_ID) line(data("$maps/nalcoord_lm.dta") size(vvthin)) /*
*/ point(data("$temp\temp1.dta") by(n) fcolor(Blues2) ocolor(none) size(vtiny) xcoord(d14_long) ycoord(d14_lat) legenda(on) legtitle(Number RCs)) /*
*/label(data("$maps/naldb_lm.dta") xcoord(x_c) ycoord(y_c) label(OBJECTID) size(medium)) title(Number of RCs)

My legend covers the map. How do I move the position of it - ideally to the top left corner?

Thanks
Megan

[Scott Merryman]

The position() and ring() legend sub-options override the default location of the legend. In particular the ring option greater than zero will place it outsize the plot region.
Using the spmap ancillary datasets compare:

use "Italy-RegionsData.dta", clear
spmap relig1 using "Italy-RegionsCoordinates.dta", id(id)          ///
    clnumber(20) fcolor(Greens2) ocolor(white ..) osize(medthin ..)    ///
    title("Pct. Catholics without reservations", size(*0.8))           ///
    subtitle("Italy, 1994-98" " ", size(*0.8))                       ///
     name(gr1,replace)

spmap relig1 using "Italy-RegionsCoordinates.dta", id(id)          ///
    clnumber(20) fcolor(Greens2) ocolor(white ..) osize(medthin ..)    ///
    title("Pct. Catholics without reservations", size(*0.8))           ///
    subtitle("Italy, 1994-98" " ", size(*0.8))                       ///
    legend(pos(6) row(3) ring(1) size(*.75) symx(*.75) symy(*.75) forcesize ) /// 
    name(gr2,replace)

[Megan Little]

Hi

Thanks for your response. That method doesn't work with "point" though as far as I can see? I have used it when I have created heatmaps for particular municipalities, but when I want to create a map with points of different colours it says "legend" is not allowed.

Best
Megan