Import DAT file using stata import wizard

[Rochelle Zhang]

Dear all,

I have a DAT file with over 200,000 observation. It has 12 variables, with all numeric values. I attached a sample with a few observation .

When i use stata import wizard, and select text data (second option), it imports all 12 variables as 1 single variable.

Can you suggest a different way to import it?


Thanks,
Rochelle

[Friedrich Huebler]

I cannot help with the import wizard but here is a crude method. Replace all consecutive spaces in the text file by single spaces and them import the file with a single space as the delimiter. Other list members can probably suggest a more elegant way to do this.

copy "TBL-2-TEST.txt" "TBL-2-TEST2.txt", replace
forval i = 1/3 {
  filefilter "TBL-2-TEST2.txt" "TBL-2-TEST3.txt", from("  ") to(" ") replace
  copy "TBL-2-TEST3.txt" "TBL-2-TEST2.txt", replace
}
erase "TBL-2-TEST3.txt"
import delimited using "TBL-2-TEST2.txt", delim(" ")

[ben earnhart]

you want infix:

infix str x1 1-6 str x2 7-13 x3 14-15 x4 16-24 x5 25-33 x6 26-34 x7 35-43 x8 44-52 x9 53-61 using c:\data\TBL-2-TEST.txt

[Rochelle Zhang]

Many Thanks to Friedrich and Ben !!! Ben's approach is easier for me.