Drop top row with variable names/labels when outputting correlation matrix with esstab

[Leah Bevis]

I am outputting a correlation matrix into a .tex file, to present as a table in Latex. I'm using estpost to do it, following posts by others. I want to use the variable labels in the left-hand row titles, hence my use of the label option in esttab. However, I would like to SEPARATELY control the row that is automatically created as column titles, because the labels are far too long. (Oddly, they are not actually column titles, as in mtitles, they are below the mtitles.)

Here is a reproducible example. Code:

sysuse auto, clear
estpost corr price mpg headroom weight length, matrix
esttab using "${TABLES}/Tab_CorrMat1.tex", unstack noobs nonum cells(rho(fmt(2))) collabels("") label replace fragment mtitle("About this correlation matrix") 

It creates a .tex file with this content:

                    &\multicolumn{5}{c}{About this correlation matrix}               \\
                    &       Price&Mileage (mpg)&Headroom (in.)&Weight (lbs.)&Length (in.)\\
                    &            &            &            &            &            \\
\hline
Price               &        1.00&            &            &            &            \\
Mileage (mpg)       &       -0.47&        1.00&            &            &            \\
Headroom (in.)      &        0.11&       -0.41&        1.00&            &            \\
Weight (lbs.)       &        0.54&       -0.81&        0.48&        1.00&            \\
Length (in.)        &        0.43&       -0.80&        0.52&        0.95&        1.00\\ 

While I can delete the top row by adding "nomtitle" to the options in esttab, what I'd LIKE to delete is the second two lines, "& Price&Mileage (mpg)&Headroom (in.)&Weight (lbs.)&Length (in.)\\" and the empty line after it.

[Andrew Musau]

estout is from SSC (FAQ Advice #12). Thanks for the reproducible example. The empty row is as a result of specifying

collabels("")

You need instead

collabels(none)

The other row contains equation labels. So in all, you want

sysuse auto, clear
estpost corr price mpg headroom weight length, matrix
esttab, unstack noobs nonum cells(rho(fmt(2))) collabels(none)  eqlab(none) label replace fragment mtitle("About this correlation matrix") tex

Res.:

. esttab, unstack noobs nonum cells(rho(fmt(2))) collabels(none)  eqlab(none) label replace fragment mtitle("About this correlation matr
> ix") tex

                    &\multicolumn{5}{c}{About this correlation matrix}               \\
\hline
Price               &        1.00&            &            &            &            \\
Mileage (mpg)       &       -0.47&        1.00&            &            &            \\
Headroom (in.)      &        0.11&       -0.41&        1.00&            &            \\
Weight (lbs.)       &        0.54&       -0.81&        0.48&        1.00&            \\
Length (in.)        &        0.43&       -0.80&        0.52&        0.95&        1.00\\

[Leah Bevis]

This is amazing, tank you so much! I should have seen the collabel() thing. But I don't think I was going to get the eqlab() bit, I didn't realize that's what the row was for. Thanks again!