Copy a variable from one Dataset to another one

[Davide Morettini]

Dear all,
my goal is to copy two variables from Dataset nr 1 and paste them in Dataset nr 2. Can anyone explain how to do that? I don't need to merge the two Datasets.
Waiting for your response

[Pierre Elias]

I think merge is the only option for you.

I will keep the 2 variables from your dataset nr 1 with the id number
and after merge

use dataset1
keep id var1 var2
save dataset_merge

use dataset2
merge 1:1 id using dataset_merge

[David Poensgen]

One way to do this would be to save the variables in a matrix, then convert the matrix back to variables in the other.

i.e.:

use firstdataset.dta
svmat var1 var2, matrix(m) rownames(varname)

use secondataset.dta
mkmat m, names(col)


This of course assumes that the data is ordered correctly in both datasets, so that a copy and paste is all you want.

[David Poensgen]

One way to do this would be to save the variables in a matrix, then convert the matrix back to variables in the other.

i.e.:

use firstdataset.dta
svmat var1 var2, matrix(m) rownames(varname)

use secondataset.dta
mkmat m, names(col)


This of course assumes that the data is ordered correctly in both datasets, so that a copy and paste is all you want.

Sorry, I messed up; correctly it needs to read

use firstdataset.dta
mkmat var1 var2, matrix(m)

use secondataset.dta
svmat m, names(col)