Efficient way to generate binary vars while changing var names

[Anne Todd]

Let's say I have 3 variables: freq_fight freq_run freq_drink, which contain values 0, 1, 2, 3. I want to create binary 0/1 versions of each of those variables and also have the new binary variables replace 'freq' with 'binary' in the variable name. I could do this very clunkily, but is there a way to do this all in one loop?

[Nick Cox]

foreach s in fight run drink {
     gen binary_`s' = cond(missing(freq_`s'), ., freq_`s' > 0)
}

replaces 3 command lines with ... 3 command lines.

[Anne Todd]

Thanks Nick. I actually have 8 or so variables organized like this, so it saves at least a few lines!

[Nick Cox]

Fine!