Unable to merge data: obtaining return code r(601)

[Bruno Hoepers]

Hi all,

I have a dataset with data on the Gini index for Brazilian municipalities in 2010. I need to merge to this dataset an id variable called "ibge_mun_code", which is located in the dataset "finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta".


merge 1:1 ibge using finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta, keepusing(ibge_mun_code)


I have been unable to do the merge. Instead, I get the following error message: file finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta not found

I don't know the reason for this error. Both datasets are stored in the same folder. In addition, the filename "finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta" is correct. I re-checked several times.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Thank you.

[Jackson Monroe]

Post an example of your data as the FAQ asks, please. This is impossible to solve otherwise. Use dataex.

[Bruno Hoepers]

Here follows the data for the master dataset:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input int year byte ibge_uf_code long ibge double gini
2010 11 110001 .5893
2010 11 110037 .5491
2010 11 110040 .5417
2010 11 110034 .5355
2010 11 110002 .5496
2010 11 110045 .5017
2010 11 110003 .5166
2010 11 110060 .5579
2010 11 110004  .589
2010 11 110070 .6705
2010 11 110080 .4762
2010 11 110090 .4996
2010 11 110005 .5147
2010 11 110092 .4752
2010 11 110006 .5154
2010 11 110007 .4852
2010 11 110008 .5239
2010 11 110094  .525
2010 11 110009 .5399
2010 11 110100 .5571
2010 11 110010 .5586
2010 11 110110 .4771
2010 11 110011 .5081
2010 11 110012 .5449
2010 11 110013 .5596
2010 11 110120 .5588
2010 11 110130 .6102
2010 11 110140 .4813
2010 11 110014 .5688
2010 11 110033 .5357
2010 11 110143 .4665
2010 11 110050 .5214
2010 11 110015 .4947
2010 11 110145 .5315
2010 11 110018   .55
2010 11 110146 .4964
2010 11 110020 .5745
2010 11 110025 .5281
2010 11 110147 .5188
2010 11 110026 .5783
2010 11 110028 .5401
2010 11 110029 .4972
2010 11 110148 .4695
2010 11 110149 .5684
2010 11 110032 .6308
2010 11 110150 .6384
2010 11 110155 .4346
2010 11 110160 .5763
2010 11 110170 .5165
2010 11 110175 .5727
2010 11 110180 .5885
2010 11 110030  .509
2010 12 120001 .5464
2010 12 120005 .6228
2010 12 120010 .5945
2010 12 120013 .5832
2010 12 120017 .5627
2010 12 120020 .6438
2010 12 120025  .607
2010 12 120030 .6774
2010 12 120032 .7112
2010 12 120033 .6102
2010 12 120034 .5939
2010 12 120035 .5938
2010 12 120038  .575
2010 12 120080 .6121
2010 12 120039 .6094
2010 12 120040 .6121
2010 12 120042 .6463
2010 12 120043 .7758
2010 12 120050 .5485
2010 12 120045  .559
2010 12 120060 .6481
2010 12 120070   .59
2010 13 130002 .5881
2010 13 130006 .6698
2010 13 130008 .5807
2010 13 130010 .5984
2010 13 130014 .5753
2010 13 130020 .6594
2010 13 130030 .5982
2010 13 130040 .7367
2010 13 130050 .6049
2010 13 130060 .5665
2010 13 130063 .6574
2010 13 130068 .6097
2010 13 130070 .6427
2010 13 130080 .6364
2010 13 130083  .597
2010 13 130090 .6185
2010 13 130100 .5402
2010 13 130110 .6668
2010 13 130115 .5722
2010 13 130120 .6234
2010 13 130130 .6153
2010 13 130140 .6237
2010 13 130150 .6374
2010 13 130160  .631
2010 13 130165 .7397
2010 13 130170 .6751
end

[Bruno Hoepers]

Here follows the data for the using dataset:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input int year str2 uf byte ibge_uf_code long(ibge ibge_mun_code)
2008 "RO" 11 110010 1100106
2008 "RO" 11 110037 1100379
2008 "RO" 11 110020 1100205
2008 "RO" 11 110045 1100452
2008 "RO" 11 110012 1100122
2008 "RO" 11 110092 1100924
2008 "RO" 11 110002 1100023
2008 "RO" 11 110094 1100940
2008 "RO" 11 110004 1100049
2008 "RO" 11 110143 1101435
2008 "RO" 11 110018 1100189
2008 "RO" 11 110145 1101450
2008 "RO" 11 110030 1100304
2008 "RO" 11 110146 1101468
2008 "RO" 11 110011 1100114
2008 "RO" 11 110147 1101476
2008 "RO" 11 110015 1100155
2008 "RO" 11 110148 1101484
2008 "RO" 11 110025 1100254
2008 "RO" 11 110149 1101492
2008 "RO" 11 110008 1100080
2008 "RO" 11 110155 1101559
2008 "RO" 11 110006 1100064
2008 "RO" 11 110175 1101757
2008 "RO" 11 110009 1100098
2008 "RR" 14 140002 1400027
2008 "RO" 11 110005 1100056
2008 "RR" 14 140017 1400175
2008 "RO" 11 110028 1100288
2008 "RR" 14 140023 1400233
2008 "GO" 52 520455 5204557
2008 "RR" 14 140028 1400282
2008 "RO" 11 110001 1100015
2008 "RR" 14 140045 1400456
2008 "RO" 11 110034 1100346
2008 "RR" 14 140047 1400472
2008 "RO" 11 110003 1100031
2008 "RR" 14 140070 1400704
2008 "RO" 11 110013 1100130
2008 "PA" 15 150085 1500859
2008 "RO" 11 110014 1100148
2008 "PA" 15 150125 1501253
2008 "RO" 11 110029 1100296
2008 "PA" 15 150145 1501451
2008 "RO" 11 110032 1100320
2008 "PA" 15 150195 1501956
2008 "RO" 11 110033 1100338
2008 "PA" 15 150215 1502152
2008 "GO" 52 521205 5212055
2008 "PA" 15 150285 1502855
2008 "GO" 52 521839 5218391
2008 "PA" 15 150304 1503044
2008 "GO" 52 521973 5219738
2008 "PA" 15 150442 1504422
2008 "GO" 52 520551 5205513
2008 "PA" 15 150497 1504976
2008 "GO" 52 522119 5221197
2008 "PA" 15 150563 1505635
2008 "GO" 52 522157 5221577
2008 "PA" 15 150565 1505650
2008 "GO" 52 520396 5203962
2008 "PA" 15 150611 1506112
2008 "GO" 52 520393 5203939
2008 "PA" 15 150746 1507466
2008 "GO" 52 520929 5209291
2008 "PA" 15 150775 1507755
2008 "GO" 52 522220 5222203
2008 "PA" 15 150803 1508035
2008 "GO" 52 520993 5209937
2008 "AP" 16 160080 1600808
2008 "GO" 52 520145 5201454
2008 "TO" 17 170030 1700301
2008 "GO" 52 520547 5205471
2008 "TO" 17 170305 1703057
2008 "GO" 52 521645 5216452
2008 "TO" 17 170307 1703073
2008 "GO" 52 520549 5205497
2008 "TO" 17 170460 1704600
2008 "GO" 52 521377 5213772
2008 "TO" 17 170510 1705102
2008 "GO" 52 520505 5205059
2008 "TO" 17 170625 1706258
2008 "GO" 52 521971 5219712
2008 "TO" 17 170980 1709807
2008 "GO" 52 520055 5200555
2008 "TO" 17 171215 1712157
2008 "GO" 52 521487 5214879
2008 "TO" 17 171245 1712454
2008 "MT" 51 510337 5103379
2008 "TO" 17 171370 1713700
2008 "MT" 51 510645 5106455
2008 "TO" 17 171550 1715507
2008 "MT" 51 510740 5107404
2008 "TO" 17 171845 1718451
2008 "MT" 51 510665 5106653
2008 "TO" 17 171889 1718899
2008 "MT" 51 510706 5107065
2008 "TO" 17 172000 1720002
2008 "MT" 51 510719 5107198
2008 "TO" 17 172097 1720978
end

[William Lisowski]

Your using data finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta is in the same folder as your primary data, but that is not what is important. Since you don't give a full path to the dataset, Stata is looking for it in your current working directory, and is not finding it there

Try the command

pwd
dir

before the merge to see what your current working directory is and what data files are in it.

[Bruno Hoepers]

Thank you William for the advice. I typed "pwd" before running merge and obtained the following error message: r(9001) - macOS refuses to provide that information

[William Lisowski]

I am unable to reproduce that error on my Mac, but it strongly suggests that your current working direction is not one that you have access to.

I created the folder example on my Mac and placed your two example datasets in it, as you said both your datasets are in the same folder. The following then worked for me.

. cd
/Users/lisowskiw

. dir example

total 32
-rw-r--r--  1 lisowskiw  staff  5055 Dec 22 11:50 finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta
-rw-r--r--  1 lisowskiw  staff  4615 Dec 22 11:50 primary.dta

. use example/primary

. merge 1:1 ibge using example/finbra_codsiafi_2008.dta, keepusing(ibge_mun_code)

    Result                      Number of obs
    -----------------------------------------
    Not matched                           130
        from master                        65  (_merge==1)
        from using                         65  (_merge==2)

    Matched                                35  (_merge==3)
    -----------------------------------------

.

[Bruno Hoepers]

Thank you William. I re-started Stata the next day and was able to do the merge operation without any problems. Strange.