Problem with a numeric variable

[Aziz Essouaied]

Hello Stata community;
I dispose of the data:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input int year str6 sunspotsnumber long Sunspots
1981 "140.4"   7
1982 "115.9"   4
1983 "66.6"   22
1984 "45.9"   18
1985 "17.9"   12
1986 "13.4 "   6
1987 "29.4"   14
1988 "100.2"   1
1989 "157.6 " 10
1990 "142.2"   8
1991 "145.8"   9
1992 "94.5"   25
1993 "54.7"   19
1994 "29.9"   16
1995 "17.5"   11
1996 "8.6 "   23
1997 "21.6"   13
1998 "64.2"   21
1999 "93.4"   24
2000 "119.6 "  5
2001 "110.9"   3
2002 "104.1"   2
2003 "63.6"   20
2004 "40.4"   17
2005 "29.8"   15
end
label values Sunspots Sunspots
label def Sunspots 1 "100.2", modify
label def Sunspots 2 "104.1", modify
label def Sunspots 3 "110.9", modify
label def Sunspots 4 "115.9", modify
label def Sunspots 5 "119.6 ", modify
label def Sunspots 6 "13.4 ", modify
label def Sunspots 7 "140.4", modify
label def Sunspots 8 "142.2", modify
label def Sunspots 9 "145.8", modify
label def Sunspots 10 "157.6 ", modify
label def Sunspots 11 "17.5", modify
label def Sunspots 12 "17.9", modify
label def Sunspots 13 "21.6", modify
label def Sunspots 14 "29.4", modify
label def Sunspots 15 "29.8", modify
label def Sunspots 16 "29.9", modify
label def Sunspots 17 "40.4", modify
label def Sunspots 18 "45.9", modify
label def Sunspots 19 "54.7", modify
label def Sunspots 20 "63.6", modify
label def Sunspots 21 "64.2", modify
label def Sunspots 22 "66.6", modify
label def Sunspots 23 "8.6 ", modify
label def Sunspots 24 "93.4", modify
label def Sunspots 25 "94.5", modify

The problem is with variables "sunspotsnumber" and "Sunspots". As you can see, the first one is taken by Stata an a string variable, whci means I can't apply any numeric command on it (like the mean and the twoway line commands, which is my goal already), I've tried to destring it, it didn't work, I tried the encore and generate commands, and what Stata generated was the second variable "Sunspots". When I typed edit, all seemed kinda well, but when I demanded the mean of the variable "Sunspots" (the generated one which seems ok and in a numeric form), Stata gives the result that the mean of this variable "Sunspots" is 13, which clearly isn't since there are some values of this variable that go to 100 and even more. I don't know if it's the deciam part of this variable that's causing problems,even if I try to draw a twoway line graph between the variable "year" as an X-axis and the variable "Sunspots" as a Y-axis, the Y-axis shows the scale 5-10-15-20-25-...which is not the correct scale already.

Can I have some help please? I really appreciate it.

[Andrew Musau]

It appears that you encoded the variable "sunspotsnumber" instead of destringing it.

decode Sunspots, g(sunspots)
destring sunspots, replace
drop Sunspots

[Rich Goldstein]

you don't show the code you tried but the following works for me:

destring sun, replace

[Aziz Essouaied]

I guess it was just a destringing problem for some values, yet still, it's a problem :p Problem solves thanks to your suggestions. Thanks very much.