[HELP PLS] "use" command ambiguous abbreviation error

[Ven Gopal]

Just a heads up: I am very new to Stata, and have to do a project for my Econ class, so please excuse my lack of understanding!

I have a .DTA file that is too large to open in Stata as a whole, because Stata can only take 2,048 variables. I have been typing in the following command to open specific variables I need for my regression: "use v009 v437 v438 using [filename]" and its been working for those three variables. However, I need to import two more variables from this large data set: m18 and m19. When I type in "use m18 m19 using [filename]" just like I did for the other variables, Stata gives me an error message saying: m18 ambiguous abbreviation.
After doing some searching around the internet I found away to turn off this error message by typing the command: "set varabbrev off, perm" but a new error message is returned: variable m18 not found.
These variables are vital for the success and completion of my project which is due next week, so I would really appreciate any help you could offer!

Thank you very much,
Ven

[Gaston Fernandez]

Hi Ven,

You are having that error message, probably because you have other variables in your dataset that start with "m18" and/or "m19". So you could try to write the whole name of your variables if that's your problem.

But, I higly recommend you to get StataSE if you work with large datasets.

Regards

[Nick Cox]

It's not Stata that has a limit -- of 2047 variables -- but the Intercooled flavour, but evidently that is what is biting.

Evidently more than one variable has a name starting m18, which is why Stata is complaining.

Setting variable name abbreviation off doesn't solve the problem: you are then committed to typing the complete name, and evidently no variable has m18 as the complete name.

You need to find out the exact name(s) in question and you can use describe using to peek at a dataset without reading it in. You are going to have to look through a lot of names, but you should find the name you want. If not, you may need to go elsewhere and find documentation for the dataset, which came from somewhere.

Please note for any future questions that being obliged to use Stata or facing an imminent deadline do not make your question any more appealing or urgent as far as others are concerned. In fact, experience on this list is that you turned off a few people just by trying that kind of pressure. Presumably you have no wish to imply that all the other questions from other people are less important than yours and yours should jump to the top of the queue. In fact, there is no queue, just people answering questions as they feel inclined. Also, HELP PLS is quite unnecessary. In many forums use of upper case is called shouting and widely considered anti-social.