Including quotes in a local macro statement

[spencer keene]

Hello,

I would like the following to drop a certain cohort for only one of the files but not the other. It seems that when I ask it to display "`drop_study'" it only shows


if cohort == study9
and not
if cohort == "study9"

local filepaths = "filepath1 filepath2"

foreach filepath of local filepaths{
use "`filepath'", clear
if regexm("`filepath'","1") local drop_study = `"if cohort == ""study9"""'
if regexm("`filepath'","2") local drop_study = `""'

drop `drop_study'
}

[William Lisowski]

You are being deceived by the display command, which strives to evaluate what it is displaying. The macro list command is the effective way to see exactly what will be substituted when the macro is expanded.

. * as given in example: ""study9""

. local drop_study = `"if cohort == ""study9"""'

. display `" `drop_study' "'
 if cohort == ""study9"" 

. display  " `drop_study' "
 if cohort == study9 

. macro list _drop_study
_drop_study:    if cohort == ""study9""

. * one less pair of quotes: "study9"

. local drop_study = `"if cohort == "study9""'

. display `" `drop_study' "'
 if cohort == "study9" 

. display  " `drop_study' "
 if cohort == study9" " invalid name
r(198);

. macro list _drop_study
_drop_study:    if cohort == "study9"

.

[spencer keene]

Thank you for this William!