Creating a variable from a percentile

[Qazi Qureshi]

Dear Statalist Experts

I hope you are well.
I want to create a new variable "highVarA" that should contain values of more than 80% of VarA. The remaining value should be "." or missing value.
I can do that with another way but it will not be exactly what I want.
I can use

sum VarA, detail

and copy the value from 75% and use

gen highVarA = .
replace highVarA = VarA if VarA>= "value"

But I need 80% values. Can you please help me here. Thank you so much!
QURESHI, Qazi

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str123 Name float VarA
"1&1 AG"                           .
"1&1 AG"                   .03484315
"1&1 AG"                  -.00774461
"1&1 AG"                  -.03751598
"1&1 AG"                 -.005386004
"1000mercis SA"                    .
"1000mercis SA"            .02554214
"1000mercis SA"           .034156952
"1000mercis SA"           -.12012728
"1000mercis SA"                    .
"11 88 0 Solutions AG"             .
"11 88 0 Solutions AG"      -.089361
"11 88 0 Solutions AG"    -.24824408
"11 88 0 Solutions AG"    -.09656604
"11 88 0 Solutions AG"    -.09121855
"11 Bit Studios SA"                .
"11 Bit Studios SA"       -.23336776
"11 Bit Studios SA"        -.2646595
"11 Bit Studios SA"      -.030182594
"11 Bit Studios SA"       -.10646837
"1Spatial Plc"                     .
"1Spatial Plc"           -.026000073
"1Spatial Plc"            -.11950393
"1Spatial Plc"            -.04920227
"2020 Bulkers Ltd."                .
"2020 Bulkers Ltd."                .
"2020 Bulkers Ltd."        .02202895
"2020 Bulkers Ltd."       -.05954045
"24SevenOffice Group AB"   .11744305
"24SevenOffice Group AB"  -.13923171
"24SevenOffice Group AB"    .1178121
"24SevenOffice Group AB"  -.02646791
"2CRSI SA"                         .
"2CRSI SA"                  .3476382
"2CRSI SA"                 .03524129
"2CRSI SA"                         .
"2G Energy AG"                     .
"2G Energy AG"            .024821743
"2G Energy AG"             .05525199
"2G Energy AG"           -.007384679
"2G Energy AG"            -.00717442
"2cureX AB"                        .
"2cureX AB"                        .
"2cureX AB"                        .
"2cureX AB"                        .
"2cureX AB"                        .
"3R Games SA"                      .
"3R Games SA"                      .
"3R Games SA"                      .
"3R Games SA"                      .
"3R Games SA"                      .
"3U HOLDING AG"                    .
"3U HOLDING AG"             .0441386
"3U HOLDING AG"           .027893513
"3U HOLDING AG"           .031154595
"3U HOLDING AG"            .15145305
"4Energy Invest NV"                .
"4SC AG"                           .
"4SC AG"                   .03919098
"4SC AG"                  .034494758
"4SC AG"                   .03976049
"4SC AG"                   .06451345
"4basebio PLC"                     .
"4basebio PLC"              .3476382
"4basebio PLC"                     .
"4d Pharma PLC"                    .
"4d Pharma PLC"                    .
"4d Pharma PLC"                    .
"4d Pharma PLC"                    .
"4d Pharma PLC"                    .
"4iG Nyrt."                        .
"4iG Nyrt."                .09223145
"4iG Nyrt."                -.3484537
"4iG Nyrt."                        .
"4iG Nyrt."                        .
"4imprint Group plc"               .
"4imprint Group plc"      -.08385532
"4imprint Group plc"      -.09781995
"4imprint Group plc"      .034352694
"4imprint Group plc"       .06925553
"5th Planet Games A/S"             .
"5th Planet Games A/S"    -.26788998
"5th Planet Games A/S"      .1985989
"5th Planet Games A/S"     -.3484537
"5th Planet Games A/S"             .
"600 Group PLC"                    .
"600 Group PLC"            .01464869
"600 Group PLC"           -.02225583
"7C Solarparken AG"                .
"7C Solarparken AG"      -.005819883
"7C Solarparken AG"       .015129724
"7C Solarparken AG"       .019077014
"7C Solarparken AG"       -.02723386
"7Digital Group PLC"               .
"7Digital Group PLC"      -.10716356
"7Digital Group PLC"        .0778405
"7Digital Group PLC"        .3476382
"888 Holdings Plc"                 .
"888 Holdings Plc"        .007568634
"888 Holdings Plc"        -.11038458
end

[Jared Greathouse]

h xtile

[Nick Cox]

help xtile

points to a good answer -- use _pctile -- note that the answer isn't optimally xtile itself.

See also centile.

There is certainly no need to compromise on using the 75% percentile.

[Joro Kolev]

Try

. sysuse auto
(1978 automobile data)

. _pctile price, p(80)

. gen highvalue = 1 if price > r(r1)
(60 missing values generated)

[Qazi Qureshi]

Thank you so much! Jared, Nick, Joro
It worked...
Warmest regards
QURESHI, Qazi