Called program sometimes does not work

Homa Taheri

Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 20

Called program sometimes does not work

01 Jun 2024, 11:09

Hi, I am doing a series of data cleaning on data of multiple countries. To make this job easier, I have defined a program for the repeated parts of the code, and call it for each country.

My issue is that this program works for majority of the countries (like Bangladesh), but does not work for some of the countries (like Yemen). Would you mind helping me with this? Thank you.

I have created a sample of datasets for Bangladesh and Yemen below using the dataex command. This is the program I have defined:

Code:

program replace_m // Some observations are labeled as "Don't Know" and take the value of -9. This function recodes them as missing. 
    
    capture describe d2 n2e n2a n7a l1 l6 a14y n2f n2b n6a a15y n2ra a4a
    
    if _rc == 0 {
        
    keep d2 n2e n2a n7a l1 l6 a14y n2f n2b n6a a15y n2ra a4a
    
    rename (d2 n2e n2a n7a l1 l6 a14y n2f n2b n6a a15y n2ra a4a) (total_sales total_input_costs total_cost_labor machinery_replacement_value num_perm_worker num_temp_worker interview_year total_cost_fuel total_cost_electricity net_book_value_machinery interview_year_end total_rent industry)  
    
    replace total_sales = . if total_sales < 0
    replace total_input_costs = . if total_input_costs < 0
    replace total_cost_labor = . if total_cost_labor < 0 
    replace machinery_replacement_value = . if machinery_replacement_value < 0
    replace total_cost_fuel = . if total_cost_fuel < 0
    
    replace num_perm_worker = . if num_perm_worker < 0 
    replace num_temp_worker = . if num_temp_worker < 0 
    replace total_cost_electricity = . if total_cost_electricity < 0
    replace net_book_value_machinery = . if net_book_value_machinery < 0
    replace total_rent = . if total_rent < 0
    }

end

And I call it for two countries as below:

Code:

program clean_yemen
    use "./data/WBES_FIRM/Yemen/Yemen-2010-full-data-.dta", clear
    
    gen ave_exchange_rate = 202.84666667    // Official average exchange rate of USD per YER for 2009; source: FAO STAT
    gen country_name = "Yemen"
    gen country_iso = "YEM"
    gen year = 2010
    
    replace_m
    
    save "./output/country_Yemen.dta", replace
end

And

Code:

program clean_bangladesh
    use "./data/WBES_FIRM/Bangladesh/Bangladesh-2013-full-data.dta", clear

    gen ave_exchange_rate = 74.1524 // Official average exchange rate of USD per BDT for 2011; source: FAO STAT
    gen country_name = "Bangladesh"
    gen country_iso = "BGD"
    gen year = 2013
    replace_m

save "./output/country_Bangladesh.dta", replace
end

Yemen's sample data:

Code:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input double(d2 n2e n2a n7a) int(l1 l6 a14y) double n2f long n2b double n6a int a15y byte a4a
         -9         .         -9          .  250  30 2010         .       -9          . 2010 52
    5000000   4000000    1600000    6000000    5   0 2010    120000   200000         -9 2010 28
    8000000   6000000    1556000         -9    7   0 2010        -8  1202000         -9 2010 18
   10000000         .    1000000          .   10   0 2010         .  1500000          . 2010 52
         -9        -9         -9         -9   10  20 2010        -9   200000         -9 2010  2
   30000000  20000000    6000000   40000000   15   0 2010  30000000  2700000   26000000 2010 26
         -9        -9         -8     100000    5   0 2010        -8    20000         -9 2010 18
     500000    200000         -9      10000    5   0 2010        -8    14400          0 2010 18
         -9         .         -9          .   18   4 2010         .       -9          . 2010 55
         -9        -9         -9         -9   10   9 2010        -9   200000         -9 2010 28
         -9         .         -8          .    6  12 2010         .       -8          . 2010 52
  1.200e+08   4000000    6000000   35000000   31   7 2010    500000   100000   20000000 2010 26
         -9         .    2296000          .   15  11 2010         .       -9          . 2010 45
     200000    600000     400000     600000    5   0 2010     36000       -9      50000 2010 26
 2493925376         .  117896720          .  300 100 2010         . 49738168          . 2010 51
   12000000   1400000    2000000          0    5   3 2010        -8    90000          0 2010  2
    5000000         .         -9          .    5   0 2010         .   660000          . 2010 52
    6000000         .    2000000          .   10   0 2010         .       -9          . 2010 55
    5000000         .    1500000          .    7   2 2010         .   600000          . 2010 52
         -9        -9         -9         -9   10   0 2010        -9       -9         -9 2010  2
    9846871         .    9617782          .   25  10 2010         .   200000          . 2010 51
         -9        -9         -9         -9  160   0 2010        -9       -9         -9 2010 28
    1000000         .     200000          .    5   0 2010         .   120000          . 2010 28
         -9   7000000    3000000  2.000e+08   60  10 2010    200000  1500000  2.000e+08 2010 28
         -9         .         -9          .   10   0 2010         .   360000          . 2010 45
  5.000e+08 4.980e+08   71000000  1.200e+08  200   0 2010   7000000  5800000  1.200e+08 2010 52
   60000000  36000000   15000000         -9   95  20 2010   1000000        0  1.520e+08 2010 26
         -9 4.000e+08  1.500e+08         -9  365  45 2010  10000000       -9         -9 2010 24
         -9        -8         -8         -9  220   0 2010   1000000  6000000         -8 2010 24
  5.840e+08         .   15000000          .   25   4 2010         .       -9          . 2010 60
         -9        -9         -9         -9  240   0 2010        -9       -9         -9 2010 24
    1000000    500000         -9     100000   13   6 2010        -8    60000         -9 2010 18
         -9         .         -9          .   38   0 2010         .  2000000          . 2010 52
 3857281024         .    4000000          .   40  10 2010         .  6000000          . 2010 52
   60000000         .   11000000          .   60  30 2010         .   936000          . 2010 52
         -9         .         -8          .    9   1 2010         .   300000          . 2010 51
  4.000e+08         .   20000000          . 5000 200 2010         .   100000          . 2010 45
  1.000e+08         .   15000000          .   50   0 2010         .   800000          . 2010 52
         -9         .         -8          .   10   0 2010         .       -8          . 2010 50
    1200000         .    2000000          .    7   4 2010         .   300000          . 2010 55
  1.800e+09    500000  2.000e+08  5.500e+08  500 250 2010     65000  2200000  4.500e+08 2010 25
  1.000e+08 6.000e+08    2880000    1000000    8  10 2010   1000000   200000    2000000 2010 28
   50000000         .   12000000          .   40   0 2010         .   180000          . 2010 51
         -9        -8         -8    2000000   14   3 2010        -9   600000    4000000 2010 28
    2000000   1000000     400000   18000000   15  10 2010    360000   240000   18000000 2010 26
   15000000   3000000     600000    6000000    6   0 2010   1440000   840000    5000000 2010 26
    1000000         .    1000000          .    5   8 2010         .   500000          . 2010 50
  2.400e+10        -8         -8         -9 1357  44 2010        -8       -8         -9 2010 15
11000000512 5.200e+09 2381659904         -9 1696 216 2010 2.800e+08 32000000 2381659904 2010 15
         -9        -8         -8         -9  200  10 2010        -8       -8         -8 2010  2
 1.4336e+09         .   50000000          .   40   0 2010         .   840000          . 2010 50
         -9        -9         -9         -9   -9   0 2010        -9       -9         -9 2010  2
   30000000         .   42000000          .   12   4 2010         .   480000          . 2010 55
   10000000        -9    3000000   50000000    7   4 2010        -9   840000   50000000 2010 26
   20000000  20000000    3000000   50000000   25   8 2010   4000000    72000   50000000 2010 26
    9000000         .    1500000          .    5   0 2010         .       -9          . 2010 52
    1000000        -8    1080000      70000    5   2 2010        -9    72000      70000 2010 26
    4800000         .    1640000          .    5   0 2010         .    96000          . 2010 55
   15000000   9000000    2200000    4000000   10   0 2010     50000   240000    4000000 2010  2
   10000000   6840000    1000000     800000    5   0 2010    580000    60000    1000000 2010 15
    2880000         .     216000          .    8  10 2010         .   360000          . 2010 55
    3000000         .     300000          .    5   0 2010         .    72000          . 2010 52
    2000000    500000    1200000    1000000    5   2 2010        -8   192000     500000 2010 18
 6499999744         .   35000000          .   69  12 2010         .  7800000          . 2010 51
    5000000        -9    1800000      56000    8   3 2010      2500    36000      56000 2010 18
  2.000e+08         .   13000000          .   39  12 2010         . 15000000          . 2010 55
  4.320e+09         .   23881630          .   30   4 2010         .  1200000          . 2010 51
    5760000   1000000    3012000     300000   24  15 2010        -8   150000     700000 2010 18
         -9         .    5000000          .    9   4 2010         .   600000          . 2010 52
    3000000   2000000    1200000    3000000    9  10 2010    500000       -9    2000000 2010 26
   35000000  10000000   15000000   10000000   25  10 2010    500000  5000000   10000000 2010 26
         -9         .    1000000          .   18   1 2010         .   150000          . 2010 51
   72000000         .    1500000          .   35   0 2010         .   840000          . 2010 55
    4000000    900000    1200000    1000000    7   0 2010        -9   200000     500000 2010  2
   12000000         .    2000000          .    5   0 2010         .  3000000          . 2010 52
         -9         .         -9          .   10   0 2010         .   840000          . 2010 55
    7000000         .    3600000          .   40  10 2010         .   400000          . 2010 55
  1.360e+08         .   36000000          .   75  10 2010         . 23000000          . 2010 55
         -9         .   60000000          .  170   0 2010         . 12000000          . 2010 55
         -9  40600000   26200000   80000000   40   0 2010   3050000   960000   86000000 2010 28
         -9         .         -9          .   20   0 2010         .       -9          . 2010 52
         -9         .    7200000          .   30   0 2010         .  1200000          . 2010 51
  3.000e+09 1.528e+10  255630800 8814000128  500   0 2010 1.170e+08       -9 2344999936 2010 17
  3.000e+08         .    2000000          .    6  10 2010         .   240000          . 2010 52
  8.800e+09         .   24000000          .   48   0 2010         . 12000000          . 2010 51
  4.000e+09 2.000e+09   65460000  3.000e+09  150  10 2010 1.500e+08 10000000  2.000e+09 2010 15
44999999488 4.000e+09    4000000  7.000e+09  500 200 2010 1.200e+09       -9  4.000e+09 2010 15
  4.710e+08 1.870e+08   18000000  1.600e+08  121  27 2010   3600000 14400000   14200000 2010 18
   75000000  39000000  1.850e+08         -9   38   0 2010    400000  1600000         -9 2010 28
   50000000  20000000   18000000         -9   75   0 2010   6000000  4800000  5.000e+08 2010 28
   10000000   3600000    4320000         -9    9   0 2010        -8    72000         -8 2010 28
    1800000         .    1800000          .    5   1 2010         .    60000          . 2010 52
         -9        -9         -9    1800000    5   0 2010    360000   500000    1000000 2010 18
    4015000    250000    2281250     500000    6   0 2010     50000   144000     100000 2010 18
 3273659904         .   33000000          .   29   0 2010         .   480000          . 2010 51
   48000000         .    1500000          .    5   0 2010         .    48000          . 2010 52
    3600000         .    1200000          .    5   0 2010         .   360000          . 2010 55
  1.560e+08 1.400e+08   16000000         -9   33  30 2010  21000000 10000000         -9 2010 26
    4000000   1800000    2160000         -9    5   1 2010     96000   120000         -9 2010  2
   18250000         .   24000000          .   10   3 2010         .  1560000          . 2010 55
end

And Bangladesh's sample data:

Code:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input double(d2 n2e n2a n7a) int(l1 l6 a14y) long(n2f n2b) double n6a int a15y byte a4a
 1.934e+08  1.200e+08   35000000 6.000e+09  600  80 2013    400000   5000000 2.000e+09 2013 15
  90000000   70000000    4000000  12000000   60   0 2013     30000     60000   8000000 2013 31
 5.400e+08  4.000e+08   14000000  60000000  110   0 2013    300000   1000000  40000000 2013 19
 1.000e+09  6.000e+08  2.500e+08 2.500e+08 1800   0 2013  10000000   6000000 1.500e+08 2013 18
 1.400e+09  9.000e+08  3.200e+08 2.300e+08 3000   0 2013   5000000   6000000  18000000 2013 18
 7.200e+08  5.700e+08   90000000  45000000 1100   0 2013   1200000   9000000  30000000 2013 18
 3.000e+08  2.700e+08   10000000  60000000  110   0 2013   2000000    600000  50000000 2013 29
 1.600e+08   80000000   40000000  12000000  860   0 2013   1300000   1300000  10000000 2013 17
 1.200e+08   67000000   24000000  20000000  350   0 2013   1700000    800000  15000000 2013 17
 2.000e+08   30000000   50000000  15000000  350   0 2013  10000000   1000000  10000000 2013 18
 6.000e+08  1.000e+08  3.000e+08        -9  250 150 2013   1000000   2000000        -9 2013 18
 1.800e+08  1.037e+08    6634000        -9 1700   0 2013   2900000   6000000        -9 2013 18
 3.054e+08  2.300e+08   40000000  60000000  448   0 2013   1200000   8000000  10900000 2013 18
   9600000    6000000     600000        -9   12   0 2013     12000    140000        -9 2013 15
 3.415e+08  1.600e+08  1.000e+08  30000000 1000   0 2013    900000    500000  20000000 2013 18
   1400000    1200000     200000     70000    5   0 2013         0     20000     50000 2013 27
 2.600e+08  1.800e+08   12000000  30000000  500   0 2013   1000000    300000  14000000 2013 18
 6.600e+08  5.500e+08   24000000  50000000  500   0 2013         0    884000  30000000 2013 18
 6.357e+08  3.552e+08   36200000 2.600e+08  350   0 2013  10400000    300000 1.500e+08 2013 18
 1.450e+09  9.700e+08   75000000 1.200e+09 1450   0 2013  30000000         0 8.700e+08 2013 17
 1.490e+09  6.400e+08  123423564 1.200e+09 1100 200 2013   5000000   1200000 1.000e+09 2013 17
 8.500e+08  3.000e+08  1.500e+08 2.000e+09  900  30 2013 140000000         0 1.500e+09 2013 17
 5.400e+08  4.700e+08   36000000  25000000  500   0 2013  10800000         0  20000000 2013 18
   1500000          0      50000     60000    4   0 2013         0     12000     40000 2013 27
  18500000    2200000    3000000   3000000   91  10 2013   1500000   1000000   2000000 2013 15
 7.200e+09  2.000e+09  1.200e+09 3.000e+09 2600 500 2013 500000000 200000000 2.000e+09 2013 24
 8.000e+08  4.000e+08   20000000 2.000e+09 1200   0 2013  50000000  50000000 2.000e+09 2013 24
 2.400e+08  1.500e+08   30000000 1.500e+08  250   0 2013    400000   4500000 5.000e+08 2013 24
 3.400e+08  1.300e+08   70000000 1.500e+08   72   0 2013   2000000   2000000  90000000 2013 24
 3.000e+08   20000000   96000000 2.000e+08  400   0 2013   2400000   2600000 1.000e+09 2013 18
 2.000e+08  1.500e+08    6500000        -9  100  30 2013    100000     84000  52400000 2013 19
  40000000   15000000    2700000    500000   30  30 2013    150000   3500000    150000 2013 19
   3000000    1000000     960000    700000   20   0 2013    240000    120000    500000 2013 29
 3.600e+08  2.900e+08   45000000  40000000  800   0 2013   7200000   3000000  30000000 2013 18
 6.000e+08  4.900e+08   48000000  55000000  830   0 2013   3000000   2500000  60000000 2013 18
 6.000e+08  3.000e+08  2.000e+08   6500000  700 200 2013   5000000  10000000   6000000 2013 17
  37000000    5000000   12000000  40000000  200   0 2013   1600000   2000000  20000000 2013 15
 6.500e+08  5.500e+08   22000000 5.000e+08  150  10 2013    700000   2500000 2.000e+08 2013 19
 3.000e+08  1.300e+08  1.200e+08 7.000e+08  550  50 2013  10000000  10000000 5.000e+08 2013 24
 8.900e+08  6.500e+08   30000000  45000000 2050   0 2013   5000000  15000000  30000000 2013 18
 1.300e+08   60000000   40000000  32000000  470   0 2013   2000000   6000000  28100000 2013 18
 3.080e+09  2.050e+09  3.200e+08 1.400e+08 5000   0 2013  30000000  20000000 1.200e+08 2013 18
 8.000e+08  4.600e+08   50000000  60000000  550   0 2013   6000000  20000000  50000000 2013 18
  12000000    4500000    3600000  30000000   24   0 2013         0    360000  25000000 2013 19
    577500          .      80000         .   20   0 2013         .    120000         . 2013 52
 1.160e+09  9.200e+08  1.800e+08 1.500e+08 1150   0 2013   8600000   3800000 1.300e+08 2013 17
  32500000   10000000    9000000  40000000  110   0 2013   1200000   1800000  20000000 2013 17
 3.000e+08  2.630e+08   21000000  15000000  250   0 2013   3744000   1080000 1.200e+08 2013 18
 3.600e+08  3.070e+08   26000000  20000000  305   0 2013   3000000   1800000  15000000 2013 18
  95000000          .    7100000         .   70   0 2013         .   1300000         . 2013 45
        -9         -9         -9        -9  270   0 2013        -9        -9        -9 2013 15
  50000000          .    4000000         .   35   5 2013         .    700000         . 2013 52
 1.859e+10         -9         -9        -9 1202   0 2013        -9        -9        -9 2013 24
 1.900e+08   60000000  1.000e+08  70000000 1350   0 2013   1000000   6600000  50000000 2013 18
 1.500e+08   40000000   40000000  20000000  200   0 2013   5000000   2000000  15000000 2013 18
 4.800e+08  4.230e+08   38000000 2.500e+08  270   0 2013   3000000   2500000 2.000e+08 2013 18
 1.800e+09  1.620e+09   84000000  90000000 1400   0 2013  42000000    600000  70000000 2013 18
  35454000   15160000    3700000 1.407e+08  350   0 2013     51000   4054000  10000000 2013 18
 1.100e+08   50000000   30000000  50000000   25  15 2013   2000000   4000000  30000000 2013 15
  30000000    9000000    8400000 3.000e+08  123   0 2013   2500000   1300000  15000000 2013 31
 5.000e+09  2.000e+09  3.000e+08 2.000e+09 1500   0 2013  30000000  30000000 4.500e+08 2013 23
 1.000e+08     500000    4000000  15000000  330   0 2013    300000   1000000  10000000 2013 18
 1.600e+09  1.000e+09  3.000e+08  15000000 2500   0 2013  10000000  15000000  10000000 2013 17
 1.300e+08   69000000   31200000 8.000e+08  300   0 2013  21600000    480000 5.200e+08 2013 18
  60000000   27000000   20000000  10000000  350   0 2013   1600000   1200000   8000000 2013 18
 1.200e+08   90000000   14400000  50000000  120   0 2013   1800000   4800000  45000000 2013 19
  90000000   76000000    6000000   9000000  120   0 2013    600000    264000   6000000 2013 18
 3.225e+08    6450000   23400000        -9 1500  30 2013  11500000    200000        -9 2013 18
 2.000e+08  1.300e+08   52800000  50000000  550   0 2013   3000000   2160000  40000000 2013 18
 6.000e+08  4.780e+08  1.000e+08  50000000 1500   0 2013   6000000   1800000  40000000 2013 17
 4.800e+08  2.915e+08  1.500e+08  95000000 1950   0 2013  20000000   3600000  80000000 2013 24
 2.400e+08  1.200e+08   20000000  46000000  250   0 2013  84000000    120000  40000000 2013 18
 1.200e+08   83000000   25200000   9000000  320   0 2013 108000000   1000000   7000000 2013 18
 851772215  732479813   40627181        -9  550  50 2013   4729666   1194353  21920845 2013 17
 3.500e+08         -9         -9        -9  275   0 2013        -9        -9        -9 2013 19
   3700000    1500000     800000    400000   10   0 2013        -9    120000    200000 2013 27
        -9         -9         -9        -9 2200 500 2013        -9        -9        -9 2013 18
 6.000e+08  4.870e+08   80000000  86000000 1100   0 2013  13500000   6000000  80000000 2013 18
 9.000e+08   70000000   55000000 6.500e+08  600  60 2013  12000000  10000000 6.000e+08 2013 17
 7.000e+08  5.000e+08   12500000 2.500e+08  100  30 2013   7000000   6000000 2.000e+08 2013 31
  90000000   63000000   13000000  14000000  250   0 2013   3000000    720000  12000000 2013 31
 3.600e+08  2.300e+08   82000000  40000000  750   0 2013   8000000   3600000  35000000 2013 24
   6000000    4500000     240000   2000000    7   0 2013     60000     18000   1500000 2013 15
4905783521 2.1618e+09 1152050000 7.000e+08 1907   0 2013 354200000 482000000 5.000e+08 2013 17
 3.600e+08  3.000e+08   15800000  19000000  110   0 2013   3600000   1200000  17000000 2013 31
 2.400e+09  2.100e+09  1.170e+08 1.000e+08  650   0 2013  18000000   6000000  80000000 2013 24
 2.000e+08  1.600e+08   12000000  50000000  140  30 2013   2000000   2600000  40000000 2013 17
 4.800e+08  4.300e+08    8600000   8000000   60   0 2013   1500000   1200000   6000000 2013 31
 5.200e+08  3.640e+08  1.200e+08  15000000 1400   0 2013   4800000   2400000  12000000 2013 18
 3.000e+08  2.330e+08   36000000 1.200e+08 2500   0 2013   3600000   1800000 1.000e+08 2013 24
   4000000    2400000     480000   1000000    5   0 2013     24000     78000    800000 2013 15
   2500000          .      85700         .    4   1 2013         .      9600         . 2013 52
 186020000  1.400e+08   28000000  20000000  300   0 2013    800000   1500000  12000000 2013 26
        -9          .   13500000         .  120   0 2013         .    200000         . 2013 60
 3.000e+08  2.000e+08   30000000 1.800e+08  225   0 2013   1600000   3700000 1.300e+08 2013 31
 1.500e+09  1.000e+09  1.200e+08 3.000e+08 2000   0 2013   1500000   4000000 1.500e+08 2013 18
  34186960   20000000    3500000   2000000   35  80 2013    200000    300000   1000000 2013 24
  15000000   10000000     400000   1000000    4  25 2013         0    150000    600000 2013 15
 1.350e+08   62000000   16000000  30000000  200   0 2013   1500000    500000  20000000 2013 18
 2.300e+08  1.200e+08   46500000  50000000  500   0 2013    200000   1800000  30000000 2013 18
end
label values d2 LABF
label values l1 LABF
label values n2a LABF
label values n2e LABF
label values n2f LABF
label values n2b LABF
label values n6a LABF
label values n7a LABF
label def LABF -9 "DON'T KNOW", modify
label values l6 L6
label def L6 0 "NO FULL-TIME SEASONAL OR TEMPORTARY WORKERS", modify
label values a4a LABC
label def LABC 15 "Food", modify
label def LABC 17 "Textiles", modify
label def LABC 18 "Garments", modify
label def LABC 19 "Leather", modify
label def LABC 23 "Refined petroleum product", modify
label def LABC 24 "Chemicals", modify
label def LABC 26 "Non metallic mineral products", modify
label def LABC 27 "Basic metals", modify
label def LABC 29 "Machinery and equipment (29 & 30)", modify
label def LABC 31 "Electronics (31 & 32)", modify
label def LABC 45 "Construction Section F: F", modify
label def LABC 52 "Retail", modify
label def LABC 60 "Transport  Section I: (60-64) I", modify

Tags: data, program

Mike Lacy

Join Date: Apr 2014

Posts: 2396
#2

01 Jun 2024, 12:34

First, let me say that you considerably reduced your chances of quickly getting a good response by not telling us in what way your program "does not work." A second general learning point here is that whenever you have a program that you think is not working properly, you should first remove any use of -capture-, as that prefix will serve to hide any errors that occur. By doing so, I discovered your problem, as running -clean_yemen- gave the following error message:

Code:

. clean_yemen variable n2ra not found r(111);

The result is that your -describe- call fails, giving a non-zero return code, so nothing within the "if _rc == 0 {" block runs. (I would note, by the way, that there is no reason for the use of -describe- in your code.) Anyway, if that block had run, you also would have received other errors whenever a non-existent variable was encountered. You need to rewrite your code so as to accommodate variables that might be absent. If I were doing this, I'd put all of my variables into some local, and handle them one at a time. As an illustration, the following code should be pretty close to what your -replace_m- program might contain:

Code:

local vlist = "d2 n2e n2a n7a l1 l6 a14y n2f n2b n6a a15y n2ra a4a" local newnames = "total_sales total_input_costs total_cost_labor machinery_replacement_value num_perm_worker num_temp_worker interview_year total_cost_fuel total_cost_electricity net_book_value_machinery interview_year_end total_rent industry" foreach v of local vlist { capture confirm variable `v' if _rc != 0 { di as error "Variable `v' is not present in this file; creating it and assigning all missing values." gen `v' = . } else { di "Variable `v' is present; no problem." } } rename (`vlist') (`newnames') recode `newnames' (-9 =.)
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Homa Taheri

Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 20

02 Jun 2024, 09:07

Originally posted by Mike Lacy View Post

First, let me say that you considerably reduced your chances of quickly getting a good response by not telling us in what way your program "does not work."

Thank you so much Mike for your explanation. I wanted the "replace_m" program do the following:

1- check whether any member of the list of variables exists in a data set,
2- for those that exist, keeps them, renames them, and replaces the negative values with a missing sign.

The problem was that the "replace_m" program was not doing it for some countries, like Yemen.

Your code performs what I intended to do. Thank you so much! I just made some minor changes in it. I leave it here, in case someone else would need it:

Code:

program replace_m

   
    local vlist = "d2 n2e n2a n7a l1 l6 a14y n2f n2b n6a a15y n2ra a4a"
    
    local newnames = "total_sales total_input_costs total_cost_labor machinery_replacement_value num_perm_worker num_temp_worker interview_year total_cost_fuel total_cost_electricity net_book_value_machinery interview_year_end total_rent industry"


    foreach  v of local vlist {
        capture confirm variable `v'
        if _rc != 0 {
            di as error "Variable `v' is not present in this file; creating it and assigning all missing values."
            gen `v' = .
        }
   
        else {
            di "Variable `v' is present; no problem."
        }
    }   

    keep `vlist' ave_exchange_rate country_name country_iso year
    rename (`vlist') (`newnames')
    recode `newnames' (-9/0 =.)

end

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Called program sometimes does not work

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