Graphs: Putting means in legend box

[Domininkas Mockus]

I am using Stata 16.1/SE on Windows 10. I would like to put means in the legend box:



I am currently using the coefplot command from SSC:

ssc install coefplot, replace

In the MWE below (output attached), I output a plot with two coefficients on price. I am fine using a command other than coefplot if needbe.

* start fresh
clear all

* auto dataset
sysuse auto.dta

* regression 1: effect of mpg on price
summarize price
local rmean = r(mean)
regress price mpg
estimates store reg1
estadd local mean "`rmean'"

* regression 2: conditional on a domestic car, effect of mpg on price
summarize price if foreign == 0
local rmean = r(mean)
regress price mpg if foreign == 0
estimates store reg2
estadd local mean "`rmean'"

* plot
coefplot ///
    (reg1, label("Regression 1") keep(mpg)) ///
    (reg2, label("Regression 2") keep(mpg)) ///
    , ///
    vertical recast(bar) barwidth(0.2) fcolor(*.5)

[Andrew Musau]

I do not see the sense in that. Why not place it within the bar or somewhere in the plot region? Otherwise, I think that you will need to program your own legend and place it somewhere in the plot region, turning off the default. I am not volunteering.

[Mike Murphy]

I agree it's not a standard choice, but if it is what you want, can't you just call it directly?:

* start fresh
clear all

* auto dataset
sysuse auto.dta

* regression 1: effect of mpg on price
summarize price
local rmean1 = r(mean)
regress price mpg
estimates store reg1
estadd local mean "`rmean1'"

* regression 2: conditional on a domestic car, effect of mpg on price
summarize price if foreign == 0
local rmean2 = r(mean)
regress price mpg if foreign == 0
estimates store reg2
estadd local mean "`rmean2'"

* plot
coefplot ///
    (reg1, label("`rmean1' Regression 1") keep(mpg)) ///
    (reg2, label("`rmean2' Regression 2") keep(mpg)) ///
    , ///
    vertical recast(bar) barwidth(0.2) fcolor(*.5)

[Mike Murphy]

Or you literally want to overlay the value over the colored bar in the legend? If so, I would do it once in graph edit (hit record before you start), plug the code generated in to the bottom of your do file, then edit so the value passed is coming from your local.

[Domininkas Mockus]

Andy and Mike:

My team was thinking of presenting the graph this way.

Mike:

We did in fact want the mean to actually go inside the colored boxes in the legend. Thank you for your idea! I tried plugging in the generated .grec file, but it doesn't seem to work with in the do-file. Below is the .grec file.

StataFileTM:00001:01100:GREC:                          :
00007:00007:00001:
*! classname: twowaygraph_g
*! family: twoway
*! date: 26 Feb 2020
*! time: 10:52:48
*! graph_scheme: s1color
*! naturallywhite: 1
*! end

// File created by Graph Editor Recorder.
// Edit only if you know what you are doing.

.legend.plotregion1.AddTextBox added_text editor 1.975317410956458 .1151210947388776
.legend.plotregion1.added_text_new = 1
.legend.plotregion1.added_text_rec = 1
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].style.editstyle  angle(default) size( sztype(relative) val(3.4722) allow_pct(1)) color(black) horizontal(left) vertical(middle) margin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) linegap( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) drawbox(no) boxmargin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) fillcolor(bluishgray) linestyle( width( sztype(relative) val(.2) allow_pct(1)) color(black) pattern(solid) align(inside)) box_alignment(east) editcopy
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].text = {}
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].text.Arrpush MEAN 1
// editor text[1] edits

.legend.plotregion1.AddTextBox added_text editor 1.74822526065211 41.55943852528203
.legend.plotregion1.added_text_new = 2
.legend.plotregion1.added_text_rec = 2
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[2].style.editstyle  angle(default) size( sztype(relative) val(3.4722) allow_pct(1)) color(black) horizontal(left) vertical(middle) margin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) linegap( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) drawbox(no) boxmargin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) fillcolor(bluishgray) linestyle( width( sztype(relative) val(.2) allow_pct(1)) color(black) pattern(solid) align(inside)) box_alignment(east) editcopy
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[2].text = {}
.legend.plotregion1.added_text[2].text.Arrpush MEAN 2
// editor text[2] edits


// <end>

And here is the output (the making of which was recorded from which the .grec was generated):

[Andrew Musau]

I don't see an attempt to feed the values into the colored boxes in the legend. The second mean below is not centered, so you may need to investigate what controls alignment, but here is the general idea. I would rather spend my time talking out the other team members of this idea.

* start fresh
clear all

* auto dataset
sysuse auto.dta

* regression 1: effect of mpg on price
summarize price
local rmean1: di %9.2f `=r(mean)'
regress price mpg
estimates store reg1
estadd local mean "`rmean1'"

* regression 2: conditional on a domestic car, effect of mpg on price
summarize price if foreign == 0
local rmean2: di %9.2f `=r(mean)'
regress price mpg if foreign == 0
estimates store reg2
local mean "`rmean2'"

* plot
coefplot ///
    (reg1, label("Regression 1") keep(mpg)) ///
    (reg2, label("Regression 2") keep(mpg)) ///
    , ///
    vertical recast(bar) barwidth(0.2) fcolor(*.5) scheme(s1color)
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.AddTextBox added_text editor 1.975317410956458 .1151210947388776
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text_new = 1
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text_rec = 1
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].style.editstyle  angle(default) size( sztype(relative) val(3.4722) allow_pct(1)) color(black) horizontal(left) vertical(middle) margin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) linegap( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) drawbox(no) boxmargin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) fillcolor(bluishgray) linestyle( width( sztype(relative) val(.2) allow_pct(1)) color(black) pattern(solid) align(inside)) box_alignment(east) editcopy
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].text = {}
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].text.Arrpush  `=`rmean1'' 
// editor text[1] edits

gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.AddTextBox added_text editor 1.74822526065211 41.55943852528203
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text_new = 2
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text_rec = 2
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[1].style.editstyle  angle(default) size( sztype(relative) val(3.4722) allow_pct(1)) color(black) horizontal(left) vertical(middle) margin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) linegap( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) drawbox(no) boxmargin( gleft( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gright( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gtop( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1)) gbottom( sztype(relative) val(0) allow_pct(1))) fillcolor(bluishgray) linestyle( width( sztype(relative) val(.2) allow_pct(1)) color(black) pattern(solid) align(inside)) box_alignment(east) editcopy
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[2].text = {}
gr_edit .legend.plotregion1.added_text[2].text.Arrpush  `=`rmean2''  
// editor text[2] edits

[Domininkas Mockus]

Andrew:

Thank you so much, I tried it, this works! The off-center label might be a computer-specific thing; the numbers were a lot better on my end. I didn't know about the gr_edit command.

Thank you!