What xtset creates is global or local?

[Minch Park]

Consider the following example code.

. quietly webuse nlswork, clear

. quietly xtset idcode year

. display "`r(panelvar)'"
idcode

. display "$r(panelvar)"
(panelvar)

According to this code, the return of the command xtset looks like a "local" macro.

However, I found a confusing thing, let's see the results below.

. mata: st_local("r(panelvar)")
  

. mata: st_global("r(panelvar)")
  idcode

Here, only the st_global mata code returns a result.

So is r(panelvar) local or global?

[Andrew Musau]

Consider the following example code.
[CODE]
. quietly webuse nlswork, clear

. quietly xtset idcode year

. display "`r(panelvar)'"
idcode

So is r(panelvar) local or global?

It's an r() macro. You reference such macros using single quotes, same as a local macro. For what -st_global()- allows, see

help mf_st_global

[Minch Park]

Andrew Musau According to the help file, the st_global command obtains strings from "global" macro. Then, is the r() macro essentially global?

[Andrew Musau]

According to the help file, the st_global command obtains strings from "global" macro.

If you read the documentation as I said, it is not exclusive to global macros.

Syntax

string scalar st_global(string scalar name)

void st_global(string scalar name, string scalar contents)

void st_global(string scalar name, string scalar contents, string
scalar hcat)

string scalar st_global_hcat(string scalar name)


where

1. name is to contain

a. global macro such as "myname"

b. r() macro such as "r(names)"

c. e() macro such as "e(cmd)"

d. s() macro such as "s(vars)"

e. c() macro such as "c(current_date)"

f. dataset characteristic such as "_dta[date]"

g. variable characteristic such as "mpg[note]"

You are referencing (a), but you have (b) - (g).

[Minch Park]

Andrew Musau I am sorry. I missed the details. Thank you for your answer! Now, I totally understood that!

[Nick Cox]

r-class results are not themselves either local or global macros. They share some properties with each of those.

As I understand it, it's not the setting of characteristics that is the main deal of tsset and xtset.

[Nick Cox]

Delete “not”!

[Minch Park]

Nick Cox Thank you! It was a great help in improving my understanding of Stata macro.