Using Import delimited with variable names in another .txt file

[Alexandra Maso]

Dear all,
I need to import panel data to Stata. I have two files; one file in .DAT format containing the observations or data, and another in .txt containing the variable name and specifications. I made it previously, but I don't find the do file where I introduced the instruction, and now I am struggling to figure out how to incorporate the variables' names and labels into the data file.

I have transformed data from .DAT to .dta using "import delimited":

import delimited "file1", encoding(UTF-8)

The resulting .dta file has this aspect:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input int v1 byte(v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7) int v8 byte(v9 v10 v11)
 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2003 2 4 2
 2 . . . . . .    . . . .
 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1948 4 4 2
 4 . . . . . .    . . . .
 5 . . . . . .    . . . .
 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 1973 1 1 1
 7 . . . . . .    . . . .
 8 . . . . . .    . . . .
 9 2 2 2 . . .    . 1 1 1
10 . . . . . .    . . . .
11 . . . . . .    . . . .
12 . . . . . .    . . . .
13 . . . . . .    . . . .
14 2 2 2 2 2 2 1957 4 4 4
15 . . . . . .    . . . .
16 . . . . . .    . . . .
17 . . . . . .    . . . .
18 . . . . . .    . . . .
19 2 2 2 2 2 2 1973 1 1 4
20 2 2 2 1 1 1 1969 4 4 4
end

The .txt file where variables are described has this aspect:

   1  ORDINAL                          1 -    10
   2  Activ    
       Year ....... 2007         12 -    17
       Year ....... 2008         19 -    24
       Year ....... 2009         26 -    31
       Year ....... 2010         33 -    38
    3 InternRD
       Year ....... 2007         61 -    66
       Year ....... 2008         68 -    73
       Year ....... 2009         75 -    80
       Year ....... 2010         82 -    87

My question:
How can I include the variable names and relationships in the .dta file?

Thank you very much for your help in advance.
Best regards,

[Hemanshu Kumar]

Your .txt file looks like a dictionary file that is used to interpret fixed width data, which is stored in your .dat file. Except I don't think the data dictionary is in a format that Stata directly understands. You may need to modify that file. See

help infix

[Alexandra Maso]

Thank you for your kind reply. After trying with infix and infile commands, the storage type of the variables was float, so I proceeded to use:

import delimited

It worked with the latter command. Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Best regards,