Label data

[Antoine Dedewanou]

Hi All,

I have a csv file which contains the following data:

Identifiant	Education	Gender
11112	1	0
11113	2	1
11114	3	1
11115	3	1
11116	4	0

The file is accompanied with this codebook:

Variable	Values	Label
Education	1	Primary
Education	2	Junior School
Education	3	High School
Education	4	College / or University
Gender	0	Male
Gender	1	Female

I would like to label data in the first table using values from the second table in Stata 13. I have 2K variables in my data and I would like to write a do-file that will help me to do all of that at once.

I will be grateful for any comments and suggestions.

Best regards,
Antoine

[Marcos Almeida]

Welcome to the Stata Forum / Statalist,

With regards to the do-file, you can do this by using a loop, having selected a sequence of variables. For example. if we know that all variables from var1 to var1000 are binary, we may just use in the varlist the term var1-var1000 and get the labels for all of them.

[Antoine Dedewanou]

Thank you Marcos for your reply. I am not sure to understand your suggestion. My data set contains 2K variables and I would like to label the values of each variable. So, regarding your suggestion I have to do this manually?

[daniel klein]

I assume that the "codebook" is just another csv-file. Here is an approach using elabel (SSC).

// get the label dataset
clear
    // add options as appropriate for your csv-file
import delimited using csv_filename2

// this is how the label dataset looks like
list

// I will use -elabel- below
*ssc install elabel

// change the dataset to mimic a dataset created by -uselabel-
rename (variable values)(lname value)
generate trunc = 0
    // this is how it looks like
list

// now save this file (using a temporary filename)
tempfile tmp
save "`tmp'"

// define value labels from the tempfile
elabel load using "`tmp'"

// now we have the labels defined
label list

// we will save the value label definitions
label save using "`tmp'" , replace

// now we get the data (the other csv-file)
clear
    // add options as appropriate for your csv-file
import delimited using csv_filename1 , case(preserve)

// this is the unlabeled dataset
list

// now we bring in the labels
do "`tmp'"

// and attach the labels to same-named variables
elabel unab lblnames : *
elabel values (`lblnames')(`lblnames')

// this is the labeled dataset
list

Here is the (selected) output

(output omitted)

. // this is how the label dataset looks like
. list

     +----------------------------------------------+
     |  variable   values                     label |
     |----------------------------------------------|
  1. | Education        1                   Primary |
  2. | Education        2             Junior School |
  3. | Education        3               High School |
  4. | Education        4   College / or University |
  5. |    Gender        0                      Male |
     |----------------------------------------------|
  6. |    Gender        1                    Female |
     +----------------------------------------------+

(output omitted)

. // change the dataset to mimic a dataset created by -uselabel-
. rename (variable values)(lname value)

. generate trunc = 0

.     // this is how it looks like
. list

     +-----------------------------------------------------+
     |     lname   value                     label   trunc |
     |-----------------------------------------------------|
  1. | Education       1                   Primary       0 |
  2. | Education       2             Junior School       0 |
  3. | Education       3               High School       0 |
  4. | Education       4   College / or University       0 |
  5. |    Gender       0                      Male       0 |
     |-----------------------------------------------------|
  6. |    Gender       1                    Female       0 |
     +-----------------------------------------------------+

(output omitted)

. // define value labels from the tempfile
. elabel load using "`tmp'"

.
. // now we have the labels defined
. label list
Education:
           1 Primary
           2 Junior School
           3 High School
           4 College / or University
Gender:
           0 Male
           1 Female

.
. // we will save the value label definitions
. label save using "`tmp'" , replace

. // now we get the data (the other csv-file)
. clear

.     // add options as appropriate for your csv-file
. import delimited using csv_filename1
(3 vars, 5 obs)

.
. // this is the unlabeled dataset
. list

     +------------------------------+
     | dentif~t   Educat~n   Gender |
     |------------------------------|
  1. |    11112          1        0 |
  2. |    11113          2        1 |
  3. |    11114          3        1 |
  4. |    11115          3        1 |
  5. |    11116          4        0 |
     +------------------------------+

.
. // now we bring in the labels
. do "`tmp'"

. label define Education 1 `"Primary"', modify

. label define Education 2 `"Junior School"', modify

. label define Education 3 `"High School"', modify

. label define Education 4 `"College / or University"', modify

. label define Gender 0 `"Male"', modify

. label define Gender 1 `"Female"', modify

.
end of do-file

.
. // and attach the labels to same-named variables
. elabel unab lblnames : *

. elabel values (`lblnames')(`lblnames')

.
. // this is the labeled dataset
. list

     +---------------------------------------------+
     | dentif~t                 Education   Gender |
     |---------------------------------------------|
  1. |    11112                   Primary     Male |
  2. |    11113             Junior School   Female |
  3. |    11114               High School   Female |
  4. |    11115               High School   Female |
  5. |    11116   College / or University     Male |
     +---------------------------------------------+

I hope this helps.

Best
Daniel

[Antoine Dedewanou]

Thank you so much Daniel. Your code is PERFECT!

[Antoine Dedewanou]

Thank you again Daniel. Now, I want to label the variables using the following excel file and the data previously labelled:

Variable name	Value label	Variable label
Education	Education	Highest level of education
Gender	Gender	Student's gender

I tried to use the same code as you previously suggested to label the data but it does not work.

Again, I will be grateful for any comments and suggestions.

Best,
Antoine

[daniel klein]

Answered here.

Best
Daniel