Forward filling of values

[Stephen Okiya]

Hi Stata users,

I am working with data extracted from a database where some values are missing as shown in example below

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input int(id code) byte value
1000 101 34
   . 102 56
   . 105 96
2000 100 29
   . 101 36
   . 102 81
   . 103 34
3000 101 46
   . 102 38
   . 103 78
   . 104 45
   . 105 71
   . 106 76
end

Is there a way I can fill the values such that the ID for observations 2 and 3 is 1000, observations 6, 7 and 8 is 2000 etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Nick Cox]

This is an FAQ

https://www.stata.com/support/faqs/d...issing-values/

[Stephen Okiya]

Thanks so much Nick Cox for the suggestion. It's greatly appreciated.

[Attaullah Shah]

Nick referred you to a Stata's native solution. If you are comfortable with using user-written programs, you may like to try fillmissing.

ssc install fillmissing
fillmissing id, with(previous)

list

     +---------------------+
     |   id   code   value |
     |---------------------|
  1. | 1000    101      34 |
  2. | 1000    102      56 |
  3. | 1000    105      96 |
  4. | 2000    100      29 |
  5. | 2000    101      36 |
     |---------------------|
  6. | 2000    102      81 |
  7. | 2000    103      34 |
  8. | 3000    101      46 |
  9. | 3000    102      38 |
 10. | 3000    103      78 |
     |---------------------|
 11. | 3000    104      45 |
 12. | 3000    105      71 |
 13. | 3000    106      76 |
     +---------------------+

On this page https://fintechprofessor.com/2019/12...lues-in-stata/, I show several other examples of filling missing values in variables.

[Nick Cox]

For that matter mipolate as part of mipolate (SSC) will do this too. https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...-interpolation



In each case the community-contributed command will do more than the one-liner in the FAQ, but if the one-liner suffices there is no need for any such.

Yet more: carryforward (SSC).

[Stephen Okiya]

Thanks Attaullah Shah for the alternative. Will look at the user written command.

[Stephen Okiya]

Thanks Nick Cox for the additional inputs. I agree with your sentiments