Sorting ID’s

[Anoush Khachatryan]

Hello,

My data looks like this:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str4 city byte id long id2 double time
"ATLA" 1 13 160
"ATLA" 1 13 161 
"ATLA" 1 13 162
"ATLA" 1 13 163
“NYC" 2 13 160
"NYC" 2 13 161
"NYC" 2 13 162
"NYC" 2 13 163
"ATLA" 1 14 160
"ATLA" 1 14 161 
"ATLA" 1 14 162
"ATLA" 1 14 163
“NYC" 2 14 160
"NYC" 2 14 161
"NYC" 2 14 162
"NYC" 2 14 163
end
format %tq time

I want it to be sorted as such:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str4 city byte id long id2 double time
"ATLA" 1 13 160
"NYC" 2 13 160
"ATLA" 1 13 161
"NYC" 2 13 161
“ATLA" 1 13 162
"NYC" 2 13 162
"ATLA" 1 13 163
"NYC" 2 13 163
"ATLA" 1 14 160
"NYC" 2 14 160 
"ATLA" 1 14 161
"NYC" 2 14 161
“ATLA" 1 14 162
"NYC" 2 14 162
"ATLA" 1 14 163
"NYC" 2 14 163
end
format %tq time

I would appreciate any assistance.

Thanks,
Anoush K.

[William Lisowski]

We see that first all the values of id2 are in ascending order, then within each value of id2, the values of time are within ascending order, then within each combination of id2 and time, the values of id are in ascending order.

It seems that you want your data sorted by id2, then by time, then by id.

. sort id2 time id

. list, clean

       city   id   id2     time  
  1.   ATLA    1    13   2000q1  
  2.    NYC    2    13   2000q1  
  3.   ATLA    1    13   2000q2  
  4.    NYC    2    13   2000q2  
  5.   ATLA    1    13   2000q3  
  6.    NYC    2    13   2000q3  
  7.   ATLA    1    13   2000q4  
  8.    NYC    2    13   2000q4  
  9.   ATLA    1    14   2000q1  
 10.    NYC    2    14   2000q1  
 11.   ATLA    1    14   2000q2  
 12.    NYC    2    14   2000q2  
 13.   ATLA    1    14   2000q3  
 14.    NYC    2    14   2000q3  
 15.   ATLA    1    14   2000q4  
 16.    NYC    2    14   2000q4  

.

[Anoush Khachatryan]

William Lisowski Thank you! Very helpful!