twoway rcap with x-axis labels from a fourth variable?

[Bert Lloyd]

I have a twoway rcap graph of variables y1 and y2 against a variable x. x consists of a small set of unique, possibly non-consecutive integers. I would like to label the x axis using strings in a fourth variable, x_labels. Is this possible?

I suppose this is similar to the mlabel(varname) marker_label_option, except I would like the marker labels to behave like xlabels (e.g. be able to control the angle).

I think I could program around this using something along the lines of

----

local x_labels `""'
sort x
gen x_n = _n if !mi(x)
qui summ x_n
local max_x_n = `r(max)'

forvalues i = 1/`max_x_n' {
local xvalue_i = x[`i']
local xlabel_i = xlabels[`i']
local x_labels `"`x_labels' `xvalue_i' "`xlabel_i'""'
}

label define x_label `x_labels', replace
lab val x x_label
twoway rcap y1 y2 x, xlabel(,valuelabel)

----

but if there is a more direct way I would prefer that.

[Nick Cox]

labmask from SJ should help.

[Bert Lloyd]

Thanks Nick, that indeed works very well.