Labelling numeric variables after a string variable chain

[Alex Williamson]

Dear all,

In my dataset I have a list of countries as string data, and I have country codes for those countries which are numeric. Below I have an example of this using the dataex command
I would like to merge the string variable "countryname" and the numeric variable "country" into a single numeric variable with the string names as labels.
The two ways I thought of doing this was,
1. Encode countryname as the specific country values.
2. Label country the specific values of countryname.
However I know how to do neither.

Your help would be welcome! Thanks in advance!

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float(year country) str52 countryname float pop
2008  4 "Afghanistan" 27722280
2009  4 "Afghanistan" 28394806
2010  4 "Afghanistan" 29185512
2011  4 "Afghanistan" 30117412
2012  4 "Afghanistan" 31161378
2013  4 "Afghanistan" 32269592
2014  4 "Afghanistan" 33370804
2015  4 "Afghanistan" 34413604
2016  4 "Afghanistan" 35383028
2017  4 "Afghanistan" 36296112
2018  4 "Afghanistan" 37171920
2004  5 "Albania"      3026939
2005  5 "Albania"      3011487
2006  5 "Albania"      2992547
2007  5 "Albania"      2970017
2008  5 "Albania"      2947314
2009  5 "Albania"      2927519
2010  5 "Albania"      2913021
2011  5 "Albania"      2905195
2012  5 "Albania"      2900401
2013  5 "Albania"      2895092
2014  5 "Albania"      2889104
2015  5 "Albania"      2880703
2016  5 "Albania"      2876101
2017  5 "Albania"      2873457
2018  5 "Albania"      2866376
1980  6 "Algeria"     19221660
1981  6 "Algeria"     19824296
1982  6 "Algeria"     20452900
1983  6 "Algeria"     21101876
1984  6 "Algeria"     21763578
1985  6 "Algeria"     22431508
1986  6 "Algeria"     23102386
1987  6 "Algeria"     23774288
1988  6 "Algeria"     24443472
1989  6 "Algeria"     25106192
1990  6 "Algeria"     25758872
1991  6 "Algeria"     26400468
1992  6 "Algeria"     27028330
1993  6 "Algeria"     27635516
1994  6 "Algeria"     28213776
1995  6 "Algeria"     28757788
1996  6 "Algeria"     29266416
1997  6 "Algeria"     29742980
1998  6 "Algeria"     30192750
1999  6 "Algeria"     30623406
2001  6 "Algeria"     31451512
2002  6 "Algeria"     31855110
2003  6 "Algeria"     32264160
2004  6 "Algeria"     32692152
2005  6 "Algeria"     33149720
2006  6 "Algeria"     33641008
2007  6 "Algeria"     34166976
2008  6 "Algeria"     34730604
2009  6 "Algeria"     35333880
2010  6 "Algeria"     35977452
2011  6 "Algeria"     36661440
2012  6 "Algeria"     37383900
2013  6 "Algeria"     38140136
2014  6 "Algeria"     38923688
2015  6 "Algeria"     39728020
2016  6 "Algeria"     40551400
2017  6 "Algeria"     41389176
2018  6 "Algeria"     42228416
1990  8 "Angola"      11848385
1991  8 "Angola"      12248901
1992  8 "Angola"      12657361
1993  8 "Angola"      13075044
1994  8 "Angola"      13503753
1995  8 "Angola"      13945205
2002  8 "Angola"      17519418
2003  8 "Angola"      18121476
2004  8 "Angola"      18758138
2005  8 "Angola"      19433604
2006  8 "Angola"      20149904
2007  8 "Angola"      20905360
2008  8 "Angola"      21695636
2009  8 "Angola"      22514276
2010  8 "Angola"      23356248
2011  8 "Angola"      24220660
2012  8 "Angola"      25107924
2013  8 "Angola"      26015786
2014  8 "Angola"      26941772
2015  8 "Angola"      27884380
2016  8 "Angola"      28842482
2017  8 "Angola"      29816768
2018  8 "Angola"      30809788
1980 11 "Argentina"   27896532
1981 11 "Argentina"   28338514
1982 11 "Argentina"   28794550
1983 11 "Argentina"   29262048
1984 11 "Argentina"   29737096
1985 11 "Argentina"   30216284
1986 11 "Argentina"   30698964
1987 11 "Argentina"   31184412
1988 11 "Argentina"   31668940
1989 11 "Argentina"   32148136
1990 11 "Argentina"   32618648
1991 11 "Argentina"   33079002
1992 11 "Argentina"   33529320
end

[Nick Cox]

Good question. This is what labmask from the Stata Journal does.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float(year country) str52 countryname float pop
2008  4 "Afghanistan" 27722280
2004  5 "Albania"      3026939
1980  6 "Algeria"     19221660
1990  8 "Angola"      11848385
1980 11 "Argentina"   27896532
end
 
labmask country, values(countryname)

tab country

    country |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
------------+-----------------------------------
Afghanistan |          1       20.00       20.00
    Albania |          1       20.00       40.00
    Algeria |          1       20.00       60.00
     Angola |          1       20.00       80.00
  Argentina |          1       20.00      100.00
------------+-----------------------------------
      Total |          5      100.00

.
.

. search labmask, sj

Search of official help files, FAQs, Examples, and Stata Journals

SJ-8-2  gr0034  . . . . . . . . . .  Speaking Stata: Between tables and graphs
        (help labmask, seqvar if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . .  N. J. Cox
        Q2/08   SJ 8(2):269--289
        outlines techniques for producing table-like graphs