start() option for histogram causing diagonal line

[Nicolas Perreault]

Hi,

I'm making overlapping histograms and I need the start(0) option for empty (no color) dash bins but it makes a diagonal line across the graph as you can see below. I tested this with the default STATA scheme (s2color) also and it makes no difference. A solution to this would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

clear all


input days dummy
10 0
25 0
10 1
10 1
25 1
30 1
30 1
55 0
55 0
55 0
70 1
70 1
70 1
120 1
120 1
end

set scheme s2color

twoway histogram days if dummy==1, fcolor(none) lcolor(black%50) lpattern(dash) width(50) start(0) || histogram days if dummy==0, fcolor(ply3%50) lcolor(ply3%50) start(0) width(50) ylabel(0(0.002)0.013) legend(order(1 "Equals 1" 2 "Equals 0"))

[Nick Cox]

Somehow the weirdness is a side-effect of lpattern(dash) but I don't have an explanation.

[Nicolas Perreault]

You're right. Without lpattern() there is no issue but the black outlined bins become less visible without a pattern. Hopefully this will be fixed in the future.

[Andrew Musau]

I would drop transparency for the bars and fill the concealed lines using tw scatteri

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float(days dummy)
 10 0
 25 0
 10 1
 10 1
 25 1
 30 1
 30 1
 55 0
 55 0
 55 0
 70 1
 70 1
 70 1
120 1
120 1
end

twoway histogram days if dummy==1, sort fcolor(none) lcolor(black%50) ///
lpattern(dash) width(50) start(0) || histogram days if dummy==0, sort fcolor(ply3*.3) ///
lcolor(ply3%50) start(0) width(50) ylabel(0(0.002)0.013) ///
legend(order(1 "Equals 1" 2 "Equals 0")) || scatteri 0.006 50 0.006 100, recast(line) ///
lcolor(ply3%50) lpattern(dash) plotregion(margin(zero))

[Nicolas Perreault]

Thanks for this solution Andrew! Unfortunately I have many figures to make and cannot put in the effort of making all of those bins manually. Really hope STATA will get to the bottom of this some day.