How to export dataset to excel with a filename based on a temporary variable name in a program

[Melinda Wang]

Hi Statalisters,

I'm a beginner to Stata and had spent ages trying to figure out a way of generating a filename based on a temporary variable name in a program. For example, I'd like my export filename to be "estimation_1.xlsx" if `x' is an argument which has a variable name "estimation" in a program. Below is a toy sample.

/*
input estimation
1
2
3
4
5
end

program toy
args x
export excel `x' using "estimation_1.xlsx"
end

toy estimation

*/

I've tried some coding like below, but it didn't work.

/*
program toy
args x
tempvar x_name temp_filename filename
gen `x_name' = "`x'"
gen `temp_filename' = "_1.xlsx"
gen `filename' = `x_name' + `temp_filename'
export excel `x' using `filename'
end

*/

Since I have to export a bunch of files which depend on the argument x, I guess trying to automate the generation of filename would be very helpful. Thanks in advance for your help! Any advice would be highly appreciated!

[Clyde Schechter]

How about:

program toy
args x

export excel `x' using estimation_`x'_1
end

That way the filename will contain the name of the variable provided as the argument of program toy.

[Melinda Wang]

It works! Thanks very much!!!