How can I create and permanently install a program without sharing it publicly?

[Kris Bitney]

Hi everyone,

I want to share a user-written program within my organization, but I don't want to share it publicly. How can I make it easy for people to install the program? I don't want people to have to look at the do file unless they want to. I know they can run a do file to install the program, then it will be usable. However, it seems that they have to install the program again every time they open Stata. Is there a way around that?

I am aware it is possible to host a command on our own server. Can we do that in such a way that nobody else can access it?

Thanks,

Kris

[Sergiy Radyakin]

Short answer: as the cases of Manning and Snowden have shown: NO, you can't.
Longer answer depends on details, as you write "they have to install the program again every time they open Stata" which doesn't make much sense to me.

Best, Sergiy

[Nick Cox]

To use a user-written program it needs to be installed where Stata can see it.

help adopath

explains various places where people's Stata can see programs, including what adopath calls SITE.

So, if I understand the question correctly, you want to use a location such that local people can see programs according to need in that place, but your workplace security keeps programs private to that workplace.

[Kris Bitney]

Thank you both. I figured it out.