How to separate numbers from text in occupational codes

[Nico Ochmann]

Dear all,
I would like to merge datasets based on the occupational code (SOC2010) given below.
Question: How do a create a new variable called let's say code the only contains the occupation numbers from SOC2010 below?
I would greatly appreciate your help.
Best wishes,
Nico

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str72 SOC2010
"Total sample"                                                            
"1115: Chief executives and senior officials"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1116: Elected officers and representatives"                              
"Total sample"                                                            
"1121: Production managers and directors in manufacturing"                
"Total sample"                                                            
"1122: Production managers and directors in construction"                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1121: Production managers and directors in manufacturing"                
"1123: Production managers and directors in mining and energy"            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1131: Financial managers and directors"                                  
"1150: Financial institution managers and directors"                      
"4124: Finance officers"                                                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1132: Marketing and sales directors"                                     
"1134: Advertising and public relations directors"                        
"Total sample"                                                            
"1132: Marketing and sales directors"                                     
"1134: Advertising and public relations directors"                        
"1135: Human resource managers and directors"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1135: Human resource managers and directors"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1136: Information technology and telecommunications directors"           
"2134: IT project and programme managers"                                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1223: Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors"    
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"2424: Business and financial project management professionals"           
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"3545: Sales accounts and business development managers"                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1171: Officers in armed forces"                                          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1172: Senior police officers"                                            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1173: Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services"   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1181: Health services and public health managers and directors"          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1242: Residential, day and domiciliary  care managers and proprietors"   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1211: Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture"          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1213: Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services"
"Total sample"                                                            
"1221: Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors"                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1223: Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors"    
"Total sample"                                                            
"1224: Publicans and managers of licensed premises"                       
"Total sample"                                                            
"1225: Leisure and sports managers"                                       
"1253: Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors"            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1226: Travel agency managers and proprietors"                            
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"1241: Health care practice managers"                                     
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1242: Residential, day and domiciliary  care managers and proprietors"   
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1225: Leisure and sports managers"                                       
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"2319: Teaching and other educational professionals n.e.c."               
"6121: Nursery nurses and assistants"                                     
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1150: Financial institution managers and directors"                      
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
end

[Maarten Buis]

clear
input str72 SOC2010
"Total sample"                                                            
"1115: Chief executives and senior officials"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1116: Elected officers and representatives"                              
"Total sample"                                                            
"1121: Production managers and directors in manufacturing"                
"Total sample"                                                            
"1122: Production managers and directors in construction"                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1121: Production managers and directors in manufacturing"                
"1123: Production managers and directors in mining and energy"            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1131: Financial managers and directors"                                  
"1150: Financial institution managers and directors"                      
"4124: Finance officers"                                                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1132: Marketing and sales directors"                                     
"1134: Advertising and public relations directors"                        
"Total sample"                                                            
"1132: Marketing and sales directors"                                     
"1134: Advertising and public relations directors"                        
"1135: Human resource managers and directors"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1135: Human resource managers and directors"                             
"Total sample"                                                            
"1136: Information technology and telecommunications directors"           
"2134: IT project and programme managers"                                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1223: Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors"    
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"2424: Business and financial project management professionals"           
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"3545: Sales accounts and business development managers"                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1171: Officers in armed forces"                                          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1172: Senior police officers"                                            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1173: Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services"   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1181: Health services and public health managers and directors"          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1242: Residential, day and domiciliary  care managers and proprietors"   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1211: Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture"          
"Total sample"                                                            
"1213: Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services"
"Total sample"                                                            
"1221: Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors"                  
"Total sample"                                                            
"1223: Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors"    
"Total sample"                                                            
"1224: Publicans and managers of licensed premises"                       
"Total sample"                                                            
"1225: Leisure and sports managers"                                       
"1253: Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors"            
"Total sample"                                                            
"1226: Travel agency managers and proprietors"                            
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"1241: Health care practice managers"                                     
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1242: Residential, day and domiciliary  care managers and proprietors"   
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"Total sample"                                                            
"1184: Social services managers and directors"                            
"1225: Leisure and sports managers"                                       
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"2319: Teaching and other educational professionals n.e.c."               
"6121: Nursery nurses and assistants"                                     
"Total sample"                                                            
"1139: Functional managers and directors n.e.c."                          
"1150: Financial institution managers and directors"                      
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"1259: Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c."                 
"4161: Office managers"                                                   
"Total sample"                                                            
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
"1190: Managers and directors in retail and wholesale"                    
"Total sample"                                                            
"1133: Purchasing managers and directors"                                 
"1161: Managers and directors in transport and distribution"              
"1162: Managers and directors in storage and warehousing"                 
end

// remove the "Total sample" which I assume is a mistake
drop if SOC2010 == "Total sample"

// separate the numbers from the labels
split SOC2010, gen(part) parse(":")

// the first part should be a number
destring part1, replace

// we can attach the label (part2) to those numbers
// requires -labmask- by Nick Cox,
// type in Stata -search labmask- to find it
labmask part1, values(part2)

// clean up
drop SOC2010 part2
rename part1 soc2010

[Hemanshu Kumar]

In addition to the helpful answer in #2, here is another approach that uses regular expressions:

If you just want a variable with the codes:

gen int wanted = real(ustrregexs(1)) if ustrregexm(SOC2010,"^(\d+):")

is enough. But if you want the code and the description both, then you could do

local matchcond ustrregexm(SOC2010,"^(\d+): (.+)$")
gen int code = real(ustrregexs(1)) if `matchcond'
gen description = ustrregexs(2) if `matchcond'

and then further use -labmask- as suggested in #2 to create value labels, if needed.

I assume that the codes are strictly in terms of numeric digits, and that the description is always separated from the code by a colon and a space.

[Nico Ochmann]

Dear Marteen and Hemanshu,
thanks so much for your kind reply. Much appreciate. All and exactly what I needed.
Have a great week,
Best wishes,
Nico