from string variable to data variable

[Chiara Tasselli]

Good evening,
I have a string variable setted in this way

27-JAN-2022 08:19:43

, how can I convert it data variable?
I had already broke it in two part and managed until days, but I still have some problems with hours...

gen DAYstring = word( StartDate, 1)
gen DAYdate = date(DAYstring, "DMY")

gen Hstring = word( StartDate, 2) 
gen hdate = clock(Hstring)

but the last command return me some errors, I am sure that there is a quickly way without break the variable.

Many thanks in advance for your time

[Carlo Lazzaro]

Chiara:
you may want to try:

. generate double wanted = clock( date , "DMYhms")

. format wanted %tc

. list

     +-------------------------------------------+
     |                 date               wanted |
     |-------------------------------------------|
  1. | 27-JAN-2022 08:19:43   27jan2022 08:19:43 |
     +-------------------------------------------+

.

[Nick Cox]

The first calculation is correct but can be compressed. Otherwise the errors here arise from not assigning a double for the date-time variable and not specifying a second argument for clock(). See help datetime and search for double in the text.

clear
input str21 StartDate
"27-JAN-2022 08:19:43"
end

gen ddate = daily(word(StartDate, 1), "DMY")
format ddate %td

gen double ctime = clock(StartDate, "DMY hms")
format ctime %tc

gen double time_of_day = clock(word(StartDate, 2), "hms")
format time_of_day %tcHH:MM:SS

list

     +------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |            StartDate       ddate                ctime   time_o~y |
     |------------------------------------------------------------------|
  1. | 27-JAN-2022 08:19:43   27jan2022   27jan2022 08:19:43   08:19:43 |
     +------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Chiara Tasselli]

Dear Cox and Lazzaro,
many thanks for your time and help.
Now it works!
Wishing you a good day!!

[Chiara Tasselli]

I have another question concerning the same variable: I need to created new class or operation depending on this dates:
for example

generate School = 1 if StartDate < 27-JAN-2022 08:19:43

I understand that this syntax is not correct because "27-JAN-2022 08:19:43" is like a "label" and I should insert the corresponding number, but I saw that it's also possible to work with this pseudolabel by adding "td" or "tc" like this example

gen age2000 = (td(1jan2000)-birthday)/365.25

.
I can't succeed in typing the right syntax...

Once again many thanks for your time

[Carlo Lazzaro]

Chiara:
you may want to consider:

. set obs 1
Number of observations (_N) was 0, now 1.

. g my_date="27-JAN-2022 08:19:43"

. generate double wanted = clock( my_date , "DMYhms")

. format wanted %tc

. g start_date="26-JAN-2022 08:19:43"

. generate double start_date_num = clock( start_date , "DMYhms")

. format start_date_num %tc

. gen whatyouwant=1 if start_date_num<=wanted

. list

     +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |              my_date               wanted             start_date       start_date_num   whatyo~t |
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  1. | 27-JAN-2022 08:19:43   27jan2022 08:19:43   26-JAN-2022 08:19:43   26jan2022 08:19:43          1 |
     +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

.