ATUS WB 2013 file syntax error

[Benjamin Vu]

Hi all,

I am trying to use the ATUS (American Time Use Survey) Well-being dataset. The ATUS site provides a do file for me to run, however I keep getting a syntax error when I try to run it.

. do "C:\Users\heatf\Downloads\wbact_2013\wbact_2013.do "

. #delimit ;
delimiter now ;
.  cd "C:\Users\heatf\Downloads\wbact_2013"
>  
> insheet tucaseid tuactivity_n wufnactwt wufnactwtc wuhapord wuhappy wuinteract
> wumeaning wupain wupnord wusad wusadord wustress wustrord wutired wutrdord usin
> g wbact_2013.dat, names comma
>
> *Labeling
>  
> label variable tuactivity_n "Activity line number";
invalid syntax
r(198);

I have no idea where the syntax error is, as I am a newbie to Stata. I would appreciate some help on this matter.

Thanks,

Benjamin Vu

[Jared Greathouse]

The semicolon

[Benjamin Vu]

Dear Jared,

Thank you so much for the quick response. This does resolve my issue, however now I have a question: Why is it that this file can be ran without the semicolon, yet the block of code below can run whilst using semicolons?

#delimit ;
 
* Edit the import statement to reference the data file on your computer.;
 
import delimited
tucaseid
tuactivity_n
tewhere
trtcctot_ln
trtcc_ln
trtcoc_ln
trtec_ln
trthh_ln
trtnohh_ln
trtohh_ln
trtonhh_ln
trto_ln
tuactdur
tuactdur24
tucc5
tucc5b
tucc7
tucc8
tucumdur
tucumdur24
tudurstop
tuec24
tustarttim
tustoptime
tutier1code
tutier2code
tutier3code
trcode
trtier2
txwhere
 using atusact_2020.dat, stringcols(1) ;
 
label variable tewhere "Edited: where were you during the activity?";

Thanks,

Benjamin Vu

[Jared Greathouse]

Let me preface my comments a moment. I'm 24. I'll be 25 May 17th. I've used Stata for 8 years.

I say this to say, I am not old enough to remember the origins of the delimit command. As it stands, it does what you do here. Breaks up a long command into hipotecar many lines you'd like.


But, I didn't grow up with C or C+ or whatever language started this trend. whenever you end use the delimiter command, you ostensibly must declare it every time? I think? I don't know since I never use it. What I do, for my own work, is something like

sc price weight, ///
scheme(gg_tableau) ///  a user written scheme
xli(2500) /// reference line
yti("the y axis") // and we finish with this

Because it means that I can break up my commands into multiple lines without needing to use or refer to or keep track of a goofy semicolon or whatever the notation that is used for the delimit command.

Perhaps I show my age, but here you use the delimiter correctly, I think, but my advice to you is to not use the delimiter command and just use three slashes to break up your commands.