r199; command is unrecognized

[Johanna Starkl]

Hello everybody, i have a question.

I've got a dataset with 3 nonnumeric string- variables. First i tried to convert the nonnumveric variables to numeric string variables and afterwards use the destring command... see here:

CODE:::

. **Preparing Dataset
.
. *2002
.
. *Missing Values
.
. use "E:\Stata\data\tAHS2002m.dta", clear

. keep smsa tenure nunit2 built cellar garage floors unitsf value weight

.
. replace garage="." if garage=="'-6'"|garage=="'-7'"|garage=="'-8'"|garage=="'-9'"
(11,411 real changes made)

.
.
. *Convert Nonnumeric String Variable to numeric string variable
.
. *Install
. ssc install egenmore
checking egenmore consistency and verifying not already installed...
all files already exist and are up to date.

. ssc install ereplace
checking ereplace consistency and verifying not already installed...
all files already exist and are up to date.

.
. *for Variable garage
. ereplace garage = sieve(garage), keep(numeric)
(11411 missing values generated)
(65,516 real changes made)

.
. *for Variable tenure
. *ereplace tenure = sieve(tenure), keep(numeric)
.
. *for Variable nunit2
. ereplace nunit2 = sieve(nunit2), keep(numeric)
(65,516 real changes made)

.
.
. *convert string variable to numeric variable
.
. destring garage, replace
garage has all characters numeric; replaced as byte
(11411 missing values generated)

. nunit2 has all characters numeric; replaced as byte
command nunit2 is unrecognized
r(199);

end of do-file

r(199);

.

As soon as i br the data, the variables are shown as byte variables, so why does an error occur?

Hope anybody can help me...

Many thanks

[Anders Alexandersson]

Where is the destring command? Try the syntax below and also show the output.

destring nunit2, replace

[Johanna Starkl]

yes, sorry, anders you're right but there is still an error

*convert string variable to numeric variable
.
. destring garage nunit2 tenure, replace force
garage contains nonnumeric characters; garage replaced as byte
(11411 missing values generated)
nunit2 contains nonnumeric characters; nunit2 replaced as byte
tenure contains nonnumeric characters; tenure replaced as byte
(65516 missing values generated)

. nunit2 has all characters numeric; replaced as byte
command nunit2 is unrecognized
r(199);

end of do-file

r(199);

[Nick Cox]

"Master" Please note our firm and explicit preference for real names.

https://www.statalist.org/forums/help#realnames

https://www.statalist.org/forums/help#adviceextras #3

Otherwise, the force option is there only for if you really know why you're using it. The real question is why you have to use it, which commands like

tab garage if missing(real(garage))

should make clear. So, what non-numeric characters is what you should be asking.

[Johanna Starkl]

Nick i already contacted stata regarding this issue