Error using -fre- and strange format of variable

[Dirk Enzmann]

After having exported data from LimeSurvey into a binary .sav (SPSS) data file and importing the file into Stata with -import spss-, if I run the .ado-program -fre- (from SSC) to display a frequency table of a variable I receive the error message

               sprintf():  3001  incorrect number of arguments
           fre_sprintf():     -  function returned error
 fre_display_or_export():     -  function returned error
                 <istmt>:     -  function returned error

(the command -tab1- produces no error). The variable type is byte, but if I list the values of that variable they are shown as

. list lastpage if lastpage < 30

     +----------+
     | lastpage |
     |----------|
 21. |  0.0e+00 |
 88. |  1.0e+00 |
 95. |  1.0e+00 |
105. |  2.8e+01 |
120. |  0.0e+00 |
     |----------|
146. |  1.0e+00 |
154. |  1.4e+01 |
155. |  1.3e+01 |
176. | -1.0e+00 |
209. |  0.0e+00 |
     +----------+

The format of the variable in the variable window is shown as "10.0g" (not as "%10.0g"!). After running the command

format lastpage %10.0g

the -list- command displays the values as expected and -fre- runs without error:

. list lastpage if lastpage < 30

     +----------+
     | lastpage |
     |----------|
 21. |        0 |
 88. |        1 |
 95. |        1 |
105. |       28 |
120. |        0 |
     |----------|
146. |        1 |
154. |       14 |
155. |       13 |
176. |       -1 |
209. |        0 |
     +----------+

. fre lastpage if lastpage < 30

lastpage -- Letzte Seite
-----------------------------------------------------------
              |      Freq.    Percent      Valid       Cum.
--------------+--------------------------------------------
Valid   -1    |          1      10.00      10.00      10.00
        0     |          3      30.00      30.00      40.00
        1     |          3      30.00      30.00      70.00
        13    |          1      10.00      10.00      80.00
        14    |          1      10.00      10.00      90.00
        28    |          1      10.00      10.00     100.00
        Total |         10     100.00     100.00           
-----------------------------------------------------------

Any idea why this happens and how to solve the issue (except the work-around of using -format- to avoid the problem)?

[daniel klein]

I have no clue* (yet) why this problem occurs. But, after reading

The format of the variable in the variable window is shown as "10.0g" (not as "%10.0g"!).

I get the impression that the problem is probably with import spss not with fre. The latter merely exposes a problem: an invalid format, which the former should arguably not produce.


* Edit

OK, I guess I got it.

fre.ado contains lines of the form

fre_sprintf(vals, st_varformat(st_local("varlist")))

fre_sprintf() calls sprintf(). We can replicate the problem:

. mata : sprintf("%10.0g", 42)
          42

. mata : sprintf("10.0g", 42)
               sprintf():  3001  incorrect number of arguments
                 <istmt>:     -  function returned error
r(3001);

As I have indicated above, the problem should be fixed in import spss, which should not produce invalid display formats.

[Dirk Enzmann]

Thanks Daniel, I will notify Stata Technical Support.

[Kevin Crow (StataCorp)]

Can you please send the SPSS file to [email protected] so that I may track down the problem?