panelview ado invalid '-" syntax error

[Maithreyi Gopalan]

Hi there, I am testing the userwritten ado - panelview on State 15.1 using their example data (sysuse turnout) and am runnning into some issues. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling all dependencies (sencode, colrpalette, labutil, grclleg) but not sure why I get the "invalid '-'" error. I have included the error with set trace on in the attachment. I have also written to the code maintainers ([email protected]; [email protected]). Because the ado file had "set trace off", I worry this error shown is incomplete and not at the place in the program that is causing the error. Just checking if any of you might be able to help with a quick look anyway? Thank you!

Maithreyi

[Nick Cox]

panelview is from SSC. The request is that you document the provenance of community-contributed (old name: user-written) commands.

You're right: including set trace off within the ado disables the tracing of the error. Leaving that command in the public ado file was a mistake and should be corrected by the maintainers.

I see that the command assumes download of some other files, including my own labmask. That's fine by me, except that if I had been consulted I would have recommended that (1) dependencies be documented in the help file too (2) labmask be documented as published through the Stata Journal.

For better debugging,

Copy the ado to say panelview2.ado

Remove the line

capture program drop panelview

Change the line

program define panelview

to

program define panelview2

Remove the line

set trace off

Save the file and renew debugging with the revised command.

[Maithreyi Gopalan]

Thank you, Nick! I also appreciate the difference between SSC-enabled and community-contributed commands. Still the same error but likely in the end when it's trying to save the graph? I wonder if it's to do with space on my onedrive? Attached results for continued help with debugging. Thanks again, Nick!

[Maithreyi Gopalan]

Never mind! I fixed it. I had to change the folder location. It was getting confused with the long folder location inside my onedrive. Thank you again.