Temporary file for merge

[Rochelle Zhang]

Dear Statalisters,

In a do editor if I generally write code line by line and execute a few lines in a batch, but not the entire program.

suppose I have the following code :


use master
keep xvar1 yvar fyear ...

tempfile master1
save "`master1'"


use havedata
keep yvar fyear ...

tempfile have1
save "`have1'"

merge 1:1 yvar fyear using "`master1'"


in this case, i thought I am merging have1 with master1

my question is : do I need to issue preserve restore command in between.

It seems to me that temp files must be used in a batch, that is , I can't hight the first 4 lines, then the next 4 , then the 9th line, because when I reach merge statement, the previous temp information will be lost. Am I correct about this?


Regards,
Rochelle

[Sergiy Radyakin]

If you are using the tempfile command, you must refer to the temporary product within the same "portion" of code being executed. Which in your case as I understand means every two lines.
I see no point in executing a do file line by line. It is not designed for that. Try things interactively from command line, then put everything into a do-file and run it.

Best, Sergiy

PS: Please, format the code with the code tag when posting

[Friedrich Huebler]

It seems to me that temp files must be used in a batch, that is , I can't hight the first 4 lines, then the next 4 , then the 9th line, because when I reach merge statement, the previous temp information will be lost. Am I correct about this?

You are correct.

I see no point in executing a do file line by line. It is not designed for that.

I see no problem with executing a few lines from a do-file at a time. The Do-File Editor has an "Excecute selection" button exactly for that purpose.

[Rochelle Zhang]

Thank you Sergiy and Friedrich !

@ Sergiy , where is the code tag formatting?

[Sergiy Radyakin]

Rochelle Zhang , the code formatting tag looks like the # sign in the formatting panel. Press the "underlined A" icon to show the formatting panel.
Friedrich Huebler , executing by portions is not always possible. Rochelle's is just a case like that. Simpler example:

tempfile tmp

save "`tmp'"

Anything referring to locals not defined in the same portion of the code will not work as designed, since it will be executed in a new context of the temporary do file generated by the do-editor from the selected code fragment.

[Rochelle Zhang]

Thank you Sergiy.

[Friedrich Huebler]

[USER="774"]Anything referring to locals not defined in the same portion of the code will not work as designed, since it will be executed in a new context of the temporary do file generated by the do-editor from the selected code fragment.

This was already established in posts #2 and #3, I didn't say anything to the contrary. My last post referred to your statement "I see no point in executing a do file line by line". It is possible (although not always), it may be preferred by some users and the Do-File Editor was designed for this purpose.