Issue with "label list" command

[Thilani Vidana]

Hi, I am using STATA 13. I am encoding a categorical variable from string to numeric. Then, I am using "label list" command to see the label values assig. I have two options and for OPTION 1 the command "label list" works. But not for the OPTION 2. Please help.

OPTION 1:

encode var1, generate (var1_n)
label list var1_n /*this works*/

OPTION 2:

encode var1, generate (var1_n)
drop var1
rename var1_n var1

label list var1 /*gives an error message "value label var1 not found" */

Kindly help me to figure out why option 2's renaming is not supporting with the "label list command". I have already completed my data cleaning with the OPTION 2.
Thanks!

[Nick Cox]

You renamed the variable but the label list has the same name as before. Consider that the same label list can be attached to many variables, so it would be a bad idea if renaming one of them had as a side-effect renaming the label and so breaking the association of variable and value labels of all the others.

Please see advice at FAQ Advice #12 about spreadsheet attachments.

[Thilani Vidana]

It's clear to me now. Thank you very much Nick!

[daniel klein]

elabel (SSC, SJ, GitHub) lets you rename value labels, if you wanted to do this.