Macro quotes in string expression

[Paul Shlapa]

Dear Experts,

I have a simple code:

unab var_of_interest: Coating1 PumpStatus EX

foreach var of varlist `var_of_interest' {
    
    global var_of_interest_mult = "$var_of_interest_mult" + "*" + "`var'"
}
di "$var_of_interest_mult"

Which gives me a result:

.di "$var_of_interest_mult"
 * Coating1 * PumpStatus * EX

However i need to get a text string which looks like macro as end result, (see below):

`Coating1' * `PumpStatus' * `EX'


I tried to manipulate with ` and ' putting them to

global var_of_interest_mult = "$var_of_interest_mult" + "*" + "`var'"

between the lines. as well as inserting into "*", but it reads them as macro afterwards which does not exist ("`*'" results in "" (nothing))
The reson is that later i would like to insert it to the graph function which will multiply the slope by the macro number.

Something like:

(function y = (`main') * $var_of_interest_mult, range(`x1_`i'' `x2_`i''))

Thank you for your time in advance.

Pavlo

[Nick Cox]

I can't follow this. Why not just write

Coating1 * PumpStatus * EX

into your code directly, as you want something very specific and you know what you want. Alternatively consider this

. local myexp Coating1 PumpStatus EX

. local myexp : subinstr local myexp " " "*", all

[Paul Shlapa]

Hi Nick,

The reason is that

 Coating1 * PumpStatus * EX

will change as variables depending which dataset i will be using and these are over 60 in the future. Therefore i would like to define these variables at the beginning of the do-file, not having to look inside the code seaching for a change.

A piece that i gave is just a little part of what i have.

Later in the code i will automatically generate locals `Coating1' `PumpStatus' `EX' (in this example, they will be other in another dataset) and would like to put them into graph, as shown previously

That is why i need a string that looks like

`Coating1' * `PumpStatus' * `EX'