Inversing a data set and merging a year and a month variables into one time tsset variable

[Aziz Essouaied]

Hello Stata users;

I'm working with this data currently;

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input int year str9 month float inflation
1953 "December"    .7
1953 "November"    .7
1953 "October"    1.1
1953 "September"   .7
1953 "August"      .7
1953 "July"        .4
1953 "June"       1.1
1953 "May"        1.1
1953 "April"       .8
1953 "March"      1.1
1953 "February"    .8
1953 "January"     .4
1952 "December"    .8
1952 "November"   1.1
1952 "October"    1.9
1952 "September"  2.3
1952 "August"     3.1
1952 "July"       3.1
1952 "June"       2.3
1952 "May"        1.9
1952 "April"      2.3
1952 "March"      1.9
1952 "February"   2.3
1952 "January"    4.3
1951 "December"     6
1951 "November"   6.9
1951 "October"    6.5
1951 "September"    7
1951 "August"     6.6
1951 "July"       7.5
1951 "June"       8.8
1951 "May"        9.3
1951 "April"      9.3
1951 "March"      9.3
1951 "February"   9.4
1951 "January"    8.1
1950 "December"   5.9
1950 "November"   3.8
1950 "October"    3.8
1950 "September"  2.1
1950 "August"     2.1
1950 "July"       1.7
1950 "June"       -.4
1950 "May"        -.4
1950 "April"     -1.3
1950 "March"      -.8
1950 "February"  -1.3
1950 "January"   -2.1
1949 "December"  -2.1
1949 "November"  -1.7
1949 "October"   -2.9
1949 "September" -2.4
1949 "August"    -2.9
1949 "July"      -2.9
1949 "June"       -.8
1949 "May"        -.4
1949 "April"       .4
1949 "March"      1.7
1949 "February"   1.3
1949 "January"    1.3
1948 "December"     3
1948 "November"   4.8
1948 "October"    6.1
1948 "September"  6.5
1948 "August"     8.9
1948 "July"       9.9
1948 "June"       9.5
1948 "May"        9.1
1948 "April"      8.7
1948 "March"      6.8
1948 "February"   9.3
1948 "January"   10.2
1947 "December"   8.8
1947 "November"   8.5
1947 "October"   10.6
1947 "September" 12.7
1947 "August"    11.4
1947 "July"      12.1
1947 "June"      17.6
1947 "May"       18.4
1947 "April"       19
1947 "March"     19.7
1947 "February"  18.8
1947 "January"   18.1
1946 "December"  18.1
1946 "November"  17.7
1946 "October"   14.9
1946 "September" 12.7
1946 "August"    11.6
1946 "July"       9.4
1946 "June"       3.3
1946 "May"        3.4
1946 "April"      3.4
1946 "March"      2.8
1946 "February"   1.7
1946 "January"    2.2
1945 "December"   2.2
1945 "November"   2.3
1945 "October"    2.3
1945 "September"  2.3
end

As you can see, it is about the monthly evolution of inflation from 1940 to 1953 (the dataex just shows a part of it). What I wanna do is:
- First, invert the dataset so it actually starts from 1940, and not 1953
- Merge the two variables Year and Month into one time variable that makes it possible to apply the tsset command on it and draw a time-line graph which shows the evolution of inflation by year and month

I hope I could get some help with this.

Thanks!

[Clyde Schechter]

gen my = month + " " + string(year)
gen mdate = monthly(my, "MY")
assert missing(mdate) == missing(month, year)
format mdate %tm
drop my

tsset mdate

graph twoway line inflation mdate, sort

[Aziz Essouaied]

Clyde Schechter Thanks for the help! That worked