[Euslaner]

I thought of that but was hoping that I could do this with a single command rather than one for each year. I don't understand why you need to question why I need separate data sets for each year.

[Nick Cox]

I really would suggest simpler code if I knew it. Any way, what I suggest is a few lines long, there are no other solutions on offer, and you've not indicated that my code doesn't work.

Otherwise, there is the XY problem. http://xyproblem.info/ People often ask how to do something and the real problem is that they should be asking a different question. If that doesn't arise often in your field of expertise I would be astonished, but that is where I close.

[Euslaner]

I was hoping to find one command that would do this rather than having to do this for each year. I know how to do that.
I tried:

forvalues i=1903/2017 i: {
2. savesome country gwno`i'-ptratio_seced_ES`i' using newwepwide`i'
3. }

but received
invalid syntax
r(198);

And I am sorry if you think that it is an odd thing to do.

[Nick Cox]

I don’t know where

i:

fits in your intention but from Stata’s point of view it will be the invalid syntax being reported.

[Euslaner]

I was hoping to find one command that would do this rather than having to do this for each year. I know how to do that.
I tried:

forvalues i=1903/2017 i: {
2. savesome country gwno`i'-ptratio_seced_ES`i' using newwepwide`i'
3. }

but received
invalid syntax
r(198);

And I am sorry if you think that it is an odd thing to do.

[Jorrit Gosens]

To further validate the xy-problem: there is no need at all to reshape wide with the suggested final data saved in individual files per year

Starting from e.g.,:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str1 country float(year gdp_WDI_PW_PW gdppc_WDI_PW_PW growth_WDI_PW_PW)
"A" 2000  3.913819  8.597421  9.196262
"A" 2001 1.1966132 1.3407556  6.934533
"A" 2002  7.542434  4.884418 2.1540258
"A" 2003  6.950233  8.712188  8.285889
"A" 2004  6.866152  7.664683  .4421535
"B" 2000  9.319345 2.5125554  8.630378
"B" 2001  4.548882 1.6636478  3.526046
"B" 2002   .674011  7.437958    7.7204
"B" 2003  3.379889  9.805113  5.861199
"B" 2004  9.748848  7.295772  3.227766
"C" 2000  7.264384  9.011049 1.7293066
"C" 2001  .4541512  2.643649  8.053644
"C" 2002  7.459667  8.856509  3.060019
"C" 2003  4.961259   8.82112 2.1909966
"C" 2004  7.167162   7.48933   7.24731
end

All that is needed is:

forval y = 2000/2004{
      preserve
      keep if year==`y'
      save wepwide`y'
      restore
}

[Euslaner]

Great. many thanks!