apc command is unrecognized in Stata 16

[Stephanie Retz]

Dear all,

I would like to use the user-written command apc by Cormac O'Dea: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...qlIbOCXS_UZ35g

When I type

 ssc install apc

Stata writes "all files already exist and are up to date".

However, when I want to execute the command

 apc yvar, age(agevar) period(yearvar) cohort(cohortvar)

Stata writes the error message "command apc is unrecognized".

I am working with Stata 16 - could anyone help me?

In case the command does not work (anymore) with Stata 16, could you kindly let me know alternative ways to estimate APC-models in Stata? I do not think that apcfit is suitable to my data - I have a large individual-level dataset and my outcome variable is consumption expenditure.

Thanks a lot!
Steph

[Bruce Weaver]

What happens if you change -apc- to -apcspline- in your command?

 
 apcspline yvar, age(agevar) period(yearvar) cohort(cohortvar)

[Scott Merryman]

ssc desc apc

points to:

INSTALLATION FILES                                  (type net install apc)
      apc_cglim.ado
      apc_cglim.hlp
      apc_ie.ado
      apc_ie.hlp

The Cormac O'Dea files need to be manually installed from the zip file located at: https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/5998

[Stephanie Retz]

Dear Bruce and Scott,

Thank you very much for your super-quick answers.

@Scott: I can use the command now! (Do you by any chance know if I can add control variables to the command? For example education?)

@Bruce: Using "apcspline" resulted in an error - I do not think that the command is suitable to my data, the authors write that it is for the "fitting of smooth age–period–cohort models to event data".

Best,
Stephanie

[Scott Merryman]

Sorry, I have never used these commands.

[Bruce Weaver]

I've never used them either. I suggested trying -apcspline- in place of -apc- because after I followed the instructions to install -apc-, typing -help apc- brought up a window showing the following:

help for apc not found
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
search for apc                                                      (manual:  [R] search)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search of official help files, FAQs, Examples, and Stata Journals

Search of web resources from Stata and other users

(contacting http://www.stata.com)

22 packages found (Stata Journal and STB listed first)
------------------------------------------------------

etc.

I had to type -help apcspline- to bring up the help file for the package I installed.

help apcspline                                                         (SJ17-4: st0245_1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title

    apcspline -- Age-period-cohort modeling


Syntax

        apcspline depvar agevar periodvar [if] [in] [weight] [, options]

    options               Description

etc.

Good luck. I hope you figure it out.