Not sorted error when trying to generate new lagged variables

[Oscar Weinzettl]

Hello,

I am working on a project where I want to study how inheritances affect labour supply of recipients via a Diff-in-Diff approach.
I have a panel structure (it is not 100% done yet, still some issues) so I ran the code

mi xtset id survey

and then

gen E = 1 if l.expectation == 2 & gift_received == 2
replace E=2 if l.expectation == 1 & gift_received == 2
replace E=3 if l.expectation == 2 & gift_received == 1
replace E=4 if l.expectation == 1 & gift_received == 1

However, I always get the issue of "not sorted". So I try to use sort varlist and sort varlist, stable but still get the same issue.

Here is an example of my data with some variables.

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input byte survey int id byte(implicate expectation gift_received) long gift1_value
1 123 1 2 2     .
1 123 0 2 2     .
1 123 5 2 2     .
1 123 4 2 2     .
1 123 2 2 2     .
1 123 3 2 2     .
2 234 3 2 1  7500
1 234 5 2 1 15000
1 234 3 2 1 15000
1 234 4 2 1 15000
1 234 1 2 1 15000
2 234 5 2 1  7500
2 234 1 2 1  7500
1 234 2 2 1 15000
2 234 2 2 1  7500
2 234 4 2 1  7500
2 234 0 2 1  7500
1 234 0 2 1 15000
1 345 4 1 1 25000
1 345 2 1 1 25000
1 345 0 1 1 25000
1 345 3 1 1 25000
1 345 1 1 1 25000
1 345 5 1 1 25000
1 456 4 1 1 50000
1 456 3 1 1 50000
2 456 5 2 2     .
2 456 2 2 2     .
2 456 3 2 2     .
2 456 1 2 2     .
1 456 1 1 1 50000
2 456 4 2 2     .
1 456 0 1 1 50000
1 456 2 1 1 50000
1 456 5 1 1 50000
2 456 0 2 2     .
1 567 4 2 2     .
1 567 3 2 2     .
1 567 5 2 2     .
1 567 1 2 2     .
1 567 0 2 2     .
1 567 2 2 2     .
1 678 4 2 2     .
1 678 2 1 2     .
1 678 1 2 2     .
1 678 0 . 2     .
1 678 5 2 2     .
1 678 3 2 2     .
1 789 2 2 1 50000
1 789 1 2 1 50000
1 789 4 2 1 50000
1 789 0 2 1 50000
1 789 5 2 1 50000
1 789 3 2 1 50000
end

What is my mistake?

[Jesse Wursten]

Going out on a limb here, but don't you have multiple datasets when you use mi? If so, could it be that you need to sort them all, not just the one you have one? I've never worked with mi, so I could be wrong. Also what do you mean with sort varlist? sort id survey?

[Phil Bromiley]

You should xtset your data before using L.

[Jesse Wursten]

mi means multiple imputations. It is still one big data set that is in stata right now. I just fail to understand sort and the error calling my data unsorted. I have performed the sort command across all my variables (which is what I mean with sort varlist) and yet still the issue remains.

You shouldn't sort across all your variables. You should sort along the xtset variables if you want to use the lag operator.