How to extract label text given a variable value?

[Sehajroop Bath]

If I can access different values of a variable using -levelsof-, is there a way to extract the label text associated with that value?

[Joseph Coveney]

At the command line in Stata, type

help macro##macro_fcn

scroll to the heading Macro functions for extracting data attributes and look at the syntax for value label and label.

[daniel klein]

Also see elabel (SSC).

Example:

. sysuse auto
(1978 Automobile Data)

. elabel list (foreign)
origin:
           0 Domestic
           1 Foreign

. return list

scalars:
                r(min) =  0
                r(max) =  1
           r(hasemiss) =  0
             r(nemiss) =  0
                  r(k) =  2

macros:
               r(name) : "origin"
             r(values) : "0 1"
             r(labels) : ""Domestic" "Foreign""

. elabel list (foreign) iff # == 0
origin:
           0 Domestic

. return list

scalars:
                r(min) =  0
                r(max) =  0
           r(hasemiss) =  0
             r(nemiss) =  0
                  r(k) =  1

macros:
               r(name) : "origin"
             r(values) : "0"
             r(labels) : ""Domestic""

[Sehajroop Bath]

I cannot install SSC because I don't have administrative privileges. I think r(labels) would solve my problem but when I type list return, here's what I get

- return list

scalars:
                  r(N) =  1482
                  r(r) =  2

macros:
             r(levels) : "0 1"

If I was able to store r(labels) in a local variable, I would like to be able to retrieve the "male" and "female" by iterating through the local variable. Here's the codebook for what I'm dealing with:

rsex                                               combined & complete sex data
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  type:  numeric (float)
                 label:  rsex_complete

                 range:  [0,1]                        units:  1
         unique values:  2                        missing .:  0/1,482

            tabulation:  Freq.   Numeric  Label
                           901         0  male
                           581         1  female

[Joseph Coveney]

I cannot install SSC because I don't have administrative privileges.

Then you're going to have to go with official Stata, which is what is recommended in #2 above.

If I was able to store r(labels) in a local variable, I would like to be able to retrieve the "male" and "female" by iterating through the local variable.

Adopt the following to suit your case.


.ÿclearÿ*

.ÿlocalÿline_sizeÿ`c(linesize)'

.ÿsetÿlinesizeÿ72

.ÿquietlyÿsysuseÿauto

.ÿcodebookÿforeign

------------------------------------------------------------------------
foreignÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿCarÿtype
------------------------------------------------------------------------

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿtype:ÿÿnumericÿ(byte)
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿlabel:ÿÿorigin

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿrange:ÿÿ[0,1]ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿunits:ÿÿ1
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿuniqueÿvalues:ÿÿ2ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿmissingÿ.:ÿÿ0/74

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿtabulation:ÿÿFreq.ÿÿÿNumericÿÿLabel
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ52ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ0ÿÿDomestic
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ22ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ1ÿÿForeign

.ÿlocalÿlabelsÿ`:ÿlabelÿ(foreign)ÿ1'ÿ`:ÿlabelÿ(foreign)ÿ0'

.ÿdisplayÿinÿsmclÿasÿtextÿ"`labels'"
ForeignÿDomestic

.ÿsetÿlinesizeÿ`line_size'

.

[Sehajroop Bath]

Then you're going to have to go with official Stata, which is what is recommended in #2 above.

Adopt the following to suit your case.


.ÿclearÿ*

.ÿlocalÿline_sizeÿ`c(linesize)'

.ÿsetÿlinesizeÿ72

.ÿquietlyÿsysuseÿauto

.ÿcodebookÿforeign

------------------------------------------------------------------------
foreignÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿCarÿtype
------------------------------------------------------------------------

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿtype:ÿÿnumericÿ(byte)
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿlabel:ÿÿorigin

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿrange:ÿÿ[0,1]ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿunits:ÿÿ1
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿuniqueÿvalues:ÿÿ2ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿmissingÿ.:ÿÿ0/74

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿtabulation:ÿÿFreq.ÿÿÿNumericÿÿLabel
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ52ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ0ÿÿDomestic
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ22ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ1ÿÿForeign

.ÿlocalÿlabelsÿ`:ÿlabelÿ(foreign)ÿ1'ÿ`:ÿlabelÿ(foreign)ÿ0'

.ÿdisplayÿinÿsmclÿasÿtextÿ"`labels'"
ForeignÿDomestic

.ÿsetÿlinesizeÿ`line_size'

.

That worked great thanks a lot!