Marginsplot command sub-option showing error

[Roman Mostazir]

Dear all,

Below my codes for margins plot which is throwing up error message. The 'marginsplot' works fine when I am using the 'by' option alone. Whenever any sub-option with 'by' is added, the error message plays the role. I am sure it is a valid command for 'twoway graph' options and used it several times. Not sure why it is not working with marginsplot:

margins i.sex, at(lmg=(15(10)65)agecen=(-4.4 -1.4 1.5 4.5))

 marginsplot, xdim(lmg) by(sex, title("My title"))

option title() not allowed

Is the sub-options followed by 'by' not allowed with 'marginsplot' ? I would not assume so.

Stata version: 14.1, OS: Mac 64-bit
Updated as of today.

[Carole J. Wilson]

Running the following command will probably do a better job at explaining than my attempt with words. I find the byopts title a little counter intuitive in by graphs.

marginsplot, xdim(lmg) by(sex) title("title repeated for each sex") byopts(title(My Overall Title)) subtitle("Extra info:", prefix)

You can also add a subtitle within byopts().

[Roman Mostazir]

I find the byopts title a little counter intuitive in by graphs.

Thanks for your comment Carole. I find it very counter intuitive too. I actually made two graphs and combined them. That gives me all I wanted. I was just wondering why something not working under 'marginsplot' that is legitimate with 'twoway' commands.
By the way, just for learning purpose, how you would get rid off the shed that is automatically created with the 'by' option followed by 'marginsplot' ? I remember getting rid of the shed with the 'twoway' command, but can't find the file where it is now and not sure if that will work with 'marginsplot' when used with 'by' option. Any suggestion?

Regards,

[Carole J. Wilson]

You'll notice that the "by" in marginsplot is not the same as the "by" in twoway. In marginsplot, the option by is an abbreviation for bydimension(dimlist,...) and takes the relevant arguments from the margins commands (not just any variable). In twoway, by(varlist,...) takes (any) variable list. So while the two were probably written to be similar, the differences are technically not inconsistencies in the "by" sub-options.

I don't know what you mean by "shed"?

[Roman Mostazir]

Thanks again. I actually wanted to know, if you use "marginsplot, by(categories)" command, how would you get rid of the color that is automatically given for the two categories. 'graphregion' does not work within `by' option. See an example

[Carole J. Wilson]

My point is, there is no sub-option "by(categories)" in marginsplot. When you are specifying by(sex), you are saying bydimension(sex). Sex can't just be any variable, it has to be one of those in the margins command.


The titles "Boys" and "Girls" are subtitles. To change the background color of a subtitle, you specify the textbox option -bcolor()- within the -subtitle()- option

marginsplot, by(Sex) ...subtitle(, bcolor(white) )
*or, depending on your scheme
marginsplot, by(Sex) ...subtitle(, bcolor(none) )

[Roman Mostazir]

Thanks Carole. 'bcol' I forgot. I used to use 'bgcol' which is an un-documented option but did not work in this case.