Including a leading zero to Brazilian zip codes

[Bruno Hoepers]

Hi all. I have a dataset with many 993,664 Brazilian zip codes (called CEP) that I need to use.

CEPs are eight digits-long. Several CEPs have one leading zero. However, the dataset contains some CEPs without the leading zero.

Thus, I need to include the leading zero to these CEPs. I’m having trouble doing it.

What I tried to do:

format cep_string %08.0f

// it didn’t work - error r(120)

gen cep_1 = substr(8 * "0", 1, 8 - length(cep_string)) + cep_string

gen cep_2 = string(real(cep_string), "%08.0f")

// I tried to follow what Nick Cox did in another post on this issue. The string values were rounded up.

Important: only CEPs with less than eight digits must receive a leading zero. CEPs that already have eight digits must remain as they are.

Can someone help?

Thank you.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str74 ds_endereco_locvt_original long cep str8 cep_string
"AVENIDA EULÁLIO MODESTO, N 2408"                                      68960000 "6.90e+07"
"RUA CARLOS DE LIMA 1729 - 413-2538"                                    76929000 "7.69e+07"
"CONJUNTO HABITACIONAL FRANCISCO WILKER CAMPELO S/N"                    62970000 "6.30e+07"
"AV. OZANAN LEVINDO COELHO, 590"                                        37280000 "3.73e+07"
"RUA SÃO PAULO NÚMERO 3435"                                           76974000 "7.70e+07"
"RUA POTIGUARA, 340"                                                    16100000 "1.61e+07"
"RUA ABATI, 10"                                                         30525260 "3.05e+07"
"AVENIDA SYCABA, 1200"                                                  32611292 "3.26e+07"
"AV. FREI BENJAMIM, S/N - ZONA URBANA"                                  45025101 "4.50e+07"
"RUA WILSON LAGO, 392"                                                  25540020 "2.55e+07"
"RUA DES PONTES VIEIRA, 575"                                            62680000 "6.27e+07"
"RUA CARLOS PINTO FILHO, S/N"                                           12630000 "1.26e+07"
"RUA SAN GENARO, 320"                                                    8584584 "8584584" 
"VILA SAQUINHO"                                                         63270000 "6.33e+07"
"AVENIDA TAPAJÓS S/N"                                                  68379500 "6.84e+07"
"SEPN 707/907"                                                          70790075 "7.08e+07"
"CONSULADO GERAL DO BRASIL EM MIAMI"                                    11111111 "1.11e+07"
"AV MANOEL NOVAES, S/N - ZONA RURAL"                                    44920000 "4.49e+07"
"VILA DO POÇO GRANDE"                                                  63580000 "6.36e+07"
"RUA XEXEU, 72 - ZONA URBANA"                                           86702320 "8.67e+07"
"RUA PADRE JOÃO REITZ, N 435"                                          88960000 "8.90e+07"
"QUINTA AVENIDA, 550 - ZONA URBANA"                                     41746900 "4.17e+07"
"RUA PARIQUIS  SN"                                                      66030690 "6.60e+07"
"AV. PRESIDENTE KENNEDY, 635"                                           24445000 "2.44e+07"
"RUA MONTE ALEGRE, 984"                                                  5014001 "5014001" 
"RUA SANTA HELENA, S/N,  PARQUE SÃO PEDRO, TARUMA"                     69021015 "6.90e+07"
"ESTRADA MUNICIPAL"                                                     18310000 "1.83e+07"
"BAIRRO DOS PAES, S/N"                                                  18310000 "1.83e+07"
"RUA CUIABÁ, 401"                                                      99345000 "9.93e+07"
"RUA HUMBERTO DE CAMPOS, S/N - ZONA URBANA"                             45638000 "4.56e+07"
"RUA APARICIO MARIENSE, 1777"                                           97670000 "9.77e+07"
"AV. NILTON PENA BOTELHO 458"                                           27175000 "2.72e+07"
"RUA QUATORZE DE JULHO, S/N"                                            26086425 "2.61e+07"
"SÍTIO JUCA  PE-130, KM 08"                                            55790000 "5.58e+07"
"AV MASCARENHAS DE MORAIS S/N"                                          57480000 "5.75e+07"
"RUA MADRE MONICA MARIA, N. 661 CEP 87.040-440"                         87040440 "8.70e+07"
"RUA CARLOS CHAGAS, 296"                                                39880000 "3.99e+07"
"RUA LAGOA SECA, 67"                                                     3462100 "3462100" 
"POVOADO BOA SORTE - ZONA RURAL"                                        48580000 "4.86e+07"
"RUA PROFESSOR PEDRO VIRIATO PARIGOT DE SOUZA, 5300"                    81280330 "8.13e+07"
"PIQ( PROGRAMA DE INTEGRAÇÃO DE QUADRAS) Q. 06 LT. 02, SETOR VEREDAS" 72726125 "7.27e+07"
"RUA BEZERRA DA PALMA ,SN               "                               50770690 "5.08e+07"
"RUA RAFAEL ANUNCIATO, 255"                                              8500000 "8500000" 
"RUA HUM, 188"                                                          35480000 "3.55e+07"
"AV. DO CONTORNO, S/N"                                                  65080805 "6.51e+07"
"RUA JOÃO FRANCISCO LEAL, 142"                                         13223091 "1.32e+07"
"AVENIDA MAZAGÃO, N. 105"                                              68920000 "6.89e+07"
"AV DUQUE DE CAXIAS"                                                    79240000 "7.92e+07"
"RUA ANTONIO SAVI, 379"                                                 88940000 "8.89e+07"
"AV MAGALHÃES BARATA , S/N"                                            68610000 "6.86e+07"
"RUA DOS IMIGRANTES, N. 184"                                            88955000 "8.90e+07"
"RUA SAO JOSE S/N"                                                      68524000 "6.85e+07"
"RUA ACÁCIA DOS SANTOS PEREIRA, S/N"                                   11534730 "1.15e+07"
"PRAÇA DOM JOSÉ THOMAZ, S/N"                                          49075400 "4.91e+07"
"RUA JOSÉ SARTURI, 01"                                                 99490000 "9.95e+07"
"PRAÇA ADALBERTO RIBEIRO, S/N"                                         65130000 "6.51e+07"
"R MANDAGUAÇU, 100"                                                    87070220 "8.71e+07"
"AV. CARLOS LIVIERO, 600"                                                4186100 "4186100" 
"R. TIRADENTES, 847"                                                    79904646 "7.99e+07"
"RUA ANTONIO PEREIRA,1495"                                              60760525 "6.08e+07"
"RUA PORTO DO BEZERRA,  25"                                              8440000 "8440000" 
"ESTRADA GERAL, S/N"                                                    88590000 "8.86e+07"
"LOCALIDADE LAGOA SECA"                                                 64235000 "6.42e+07"
"RUA PADRE AGOBAR VALENÇA, S/N (AO LADO DO CAIC)"                      55297400 "5.53e+07"
"RUA MAL.  DEODORO DA FONSECA, 908"                                     86410000 "8.64e+07"
"RUA BOTUPORÃ, QUADRA 2, CHÁCARA PERSEVERANÇA, S/N - ZONA URBANA"    41100060 "4.11e+07"
"R. PRINCIPAL, S/N"                                                     29330000 "2.93e+07"
"RUA PEDRO MARCHI, 100"                                                 13295000 "1.33e+07"
"RUA ITAPETI, 500"                                                       8693210 "8693210" 
"AVENIDA MAURO RAMOS, N. 275"                                           88020301 "8.80e+07"
end

[Frode Andre]

Will this do what you ask for :

​​​​​​​gen str8 code = string(cep,"%08.0f")

[Nick Cox]

Your code gives us cep_string as data without saying how it was produced.

But

1. cep_string is a string variable. So assigning it a numeric display format doesn't make sense to Stata, Any way, changing display format never changes what is stored.

2. Worse, cep_string is mangled beyond repair. No magic, white or otherwise, will retrieve the digits that were lost when it was created.

Otherwise the solution is to work with cep.

"what Nick Cox did in another post on this issue" is unfortunately not enough detail to remind me when and which that was. But this may help:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input long cep
 3462100
 4186100
 5014001
 8440000
 8500000
 8584584
 8693210
11111111
11534730
12630000
13223091
13295000
16100000
18310000
18310000
24445000
25540020
26086425
27175000
29330000
30525260
32611292
35480000
37280000
39880000
41100060
41746900
44920000
45025101
45638000
48580000
49075400
50770690
55297400
55790000
57480000
60760525
62680000
62970000
63270000
63580000
64235000
65080805
65130000
66030690
68379500
68524000
68610000
68920000
68960000
69021015
70790075
72726125
76929000
76974000
79240000
79904646
81280330
86410000
86702320
87040440
87070220
88020301
88590000
88940000
88955000
88960000
97670000
99345000
99490000
end

.
.

clonevar cep2 = cep

. format cep2 %08.0f

.
. gen cep3 = cond(cep < 1e7, "0", "") + strofreal(cep, "%8.0f")

.
. list

+--------------------------------+
| cep cep2 cep3 |
|--------------------------------|
1. | 3462100 03462100 03462100 |
2. | 4186100 04186100 04186100 |
3. | 5014001 05014001 05014001 |
4. | 8440000 08440000 08440000 |
5. | 8500000 08500000 08500000 |
|--------------------------------|
6. | 8584584 08584584 08584584 |
7. | 8693210 08693210 08693210 |
8. | 11111111 11111111 11111111 |
9. | 11534730 11534730 11534730 |
10. | 12630000 12630000 12630000 |
|--------------------------------|
11. | 13223091 13223091 13223091 |
12. | 13295000 13295000 13295000 |
13. | 16100000 16100000 16100000 |
14. | 18310000 18310000 18310000 |
15. | 18310000 18310000 18310000 |
|--------------------------------|
16. | 24445000 24445000 24445000 |
17. | 25540020 25540020 25540020 |
18. | 26086425 26086425 26086425 |
19. | 27175000 27175000 27175000 |
20. | 29330000 29330000 29330000 |
|--------------------------------|
21. | 30525260 30525260 30525260 |
22. | 32611292 32611292 32611292 |
23. | 35480000 35480000 35480000 |
24. | 37280000 37280000 37280000 |
25. | 39880000 39880000 39880000 |
|--------------------------------|
26. | 41100060 41100060 41100060 |
27. | 41746900 41746900 41746900 |
28. | 44920000 44920000 44920000 |
29. | 45025101 45025101 45025101 |
30. | 45638000 45638000 45638000 |
|--------------------------------|
31. | 48580000 48580000 48580000 |
32. | 49075400 49075400 49075400 |
33. | 50770690 50770690 50770690 |
34. | 55297400 55297400 55297400 |
35. | 55790000 55790000 55790000 |
|--------------------------------|
36. | 57480000 57480000 57480000 |
37. | 60760525 60760525 60760525 |
38. | 62680000 62680000 62680000 |
39. | 62970000 62970000 62970000 |
40. | 63270000 63270000 63270000 |
|--------------------------------|
41. | 63580000 63580000 63580000 |
42. | 64235000 64235000 64235000 |
43. | 65080805 65080805 65080805 |
44. | 65130000 65130000 65130000 |
45. | 66030690 66030690 66030690 |
|--------------------------------|
46. | 68379500 68379500 68379500 |
47. | 68524000 68524000 68524000 |
48. | 68610000 68610000 68610000 |
49. | 68920000 68920000 68920000 |
50. | 68960000 68960000 68960000 |
|--------------------------------|
51. | 69021015 69021015 69021015 |
52. | 70790075 70790075 70790075 |
53. | 72726125 72726125 72726125 |
54. | 76929000 76929000 76929000 |
55. | 76974000 76974000 76974000 |
|--------------------------------|
56. | 79240000 79240000 79240000 |
57. | 79904646 79904646 79904646 |
58. | 81280330 81280330 81280330 |
59. | 86410000 86410000 86410000 |
60. | 86702320 86702320 86702320 |
|--------------------------------|
61. | 87040440 87040440 87040440 |
62. | 87070220 87070220 87070220 |
63. | 88020301 88020301 88020301 |
64. | 88590000 88590000 88590000 |
65. | 88940000 88940000 88940000 |
|--------------------------------|
66. | 88955000 88955000 88955000 |
67. | 88960000 88960000 88960000 |
68. | 97670000 97670000 97670000 |
69. | 99345000 99345000 99345000 |
70. | 99490000 99490000 99490000 |
+--------------------------------+

[Bruno Hoepers]

Thank you very much Nick. I'm sorry for not including the whole reference. It can be found here: https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...tring-variable

[Bruno Hoepers]

Thanks to Frode as well.

[Bruno Hoepers]

A quick question, Nick: here at this command line

gen cep3 = cond(cep < 1e7, "0", "") + strofreal(cep, "%8.0f")

, what is this portion of the code doing? => 1e7

[Nick Cox]

1e7 is 10 million. Any 7 digit integer is less than 10 million.

[Bruno Hoepers]

Got it. Thanks Nick.