Using a macro name in a directory

[Johan Verburg]

I am trying do a loop where I put graphs in different directories on my computer.

foreach name in "Bedtextiel" "Gebak" "Kantoorart" {
cd \\cbsp\productie\Primair\CPI\Werk\50PidMappen\Jvbg\CPI\DatasetHEMA\StataFiles
do DataVoorbereiden`name'.do
do PrijsIndicesSimple.do
cd \\cbsp\productie\Primair\CPI\Werk\50PidMappen\Jvbg\CPI\DatasetHEMA\Grafieken\`name'

format jevon_mtom chained_jevon dutot_mtom chained_dutot guv_mtom chained_guv laspeyres_mtom chained_laspeyres paasche_mtom chained_paasche fisher_mtom chained_fisher chained_tornqvist %3.0f
xtline chained_jevon chained_dutot chained_laspeyres chained_paasche chained_fisher chained_tornqvist chained_guv if product_id == 1, byopts(title("`name'") subtitle("Diverse chained month-to-month prijs indices (EAN)"))
graph export "`name'SimpeleIndicesEAN.pdf", as(pdf) replace
}

The program will not run the follwing line:

 cd \\cbsp\productie\Primair\CPI\Werk\50PidMappen\Jvbg\CPI\DatasetHEMA\Grafieken\`name'

I tried using

  "`name'"

at the end, but no luck. If I remove this line the code runs like it is supposed to.

Any suggestions are welcome, thank you

Johan

[eric_a_booth]

Try:
Code:

cd `"\\cbsp\productie\Primair\CPI\Werk\50PidMappen\Jv bg\CPI\DatasetHEMA\Grafieken\`name'"'

also, you don't mention the OS or version of Stata you are using, but I always use forward slashes in filepaths because they work across all the platforms or OSs I use (even Windows understands forward slashes in that C:\Documents\Foo translates to the URI: file:///C:/Documents/Foo) and the backslash can be an escape character.

- Eric Booth

[Clyde Schechter]

The problem is that the Stata parser interprets the sequence \` as a literal ` character rather than the opening left quote of a local macro reference. This is a commonly occurring problem. The simplest solution is to use / instead of \ as your directory separator. (It does not matter that Windows expects to see \; Stata takes care of that when it interfaces with Windows for file handling.)

Alternatively, you can use \\` instead of \`. The parser will interpret \\ as a literal backslash character (\) and then recognize ` as the start of a macro reference.

[Nick Cox]

See also

SJ-8-3 pr0042 . . . . . . . Stata tip 65: Beware the backstabbing backslash
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N. J. Cox
Q3/08 SJ 8(3):446--447 (no commands)
tip to use forward slash instead of backslash for
directory and file names

http://www.stata-journal.com/article...article=pr0042

[Johan Verburg]

Thanks for the quick responses, I will incorporate this in my code.