Sort data via two nested variables

[Eric McChesney]

Hello,

I have an educational dataset containing each students' ID number, the academic term in which a grade was earned, the subject in which the grade was earned, the catalogue number of the course they took, and the grade itself. The data is arranged in long format with each student ID repeated, listing off all the courses they took in a disordered fashion before switching to the next student. The example below displays the data for two total students.

I would like to sort the data such that each students' data is still clustered; however, the remainder of their data is arranged from small values to large by academic term.

I have searched through Stata's files, but not been able to find anything describing how this might be done. Any help would be appreciated.

-Eric

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str15 username_h int term_cd str8(subject_cd catalog_nbr) str3 course_grade_cd
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2231 "BUSERV" "1915" "A-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1914 "ECON"   "0100" "x" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1971 "PHIL"   "7300" "B+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2227 "EDUC"   "1067" "S" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1921 "CHEM"   "0110" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1921 "CDN"    "1600" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1927 "PSY"    "0020" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1924 "CHEM"   "0120" "x" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1931 "CHEM"   "0310" "F" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1914 "CS"     "7004" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1921 "CHEM"   "0110" "x" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1914 "ECON"   "0100" "C+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1941 "FR"     "0002" "A-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1997 "PSY"    "0310" "A+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1997 "PSY"    "0160" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2147 "COMMRC" "1102" "A-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2231 "PITT"   "0210" "S" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2224 "NUR"    "1765" "A+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1934 "FR"     "0001" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1905 "MATH"   "0012" "C" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2211 "HRS"    "1017" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1914 "SOC"    "7010" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1934 "CHEM"   "0120" "C+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1931 "CDN"    "1612" "C" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1917 "ENGCMP" "7200" "C" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1967 "HAA"    "0020" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2234 "PSY"    "1210" "0" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1931 "BIOSC"  "0150" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1921 "CS"     "0131" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1974 "INFSCI" "0010" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1931 "BIOSC"  "0150" "x" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1924 "HRP"    "1006" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2201 "HIST"   "1090" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2221 "NUR"    "1829" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2204 "PUBSRV" "1305" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1954 "ENGLIT" "8640" "C" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1974 "BIOSC"  "0050" "A-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1981 "SOC"    "0230" "A" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1944 "CHEM"   "0320" "x" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1944 "CHEM"   "0320" "W" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1924 "CHEM"   "0120" "D" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1927 "COMMRC" "0520" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2217 "COMMRC" "1730" "A+"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2151 "SOC"    "0477" "A-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1924 "PSY"    "0010" "C" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 2001 "PSY"    "1205" "B" 
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1941 "CHEM"   "0310" "B-"
"5FFE72C531B7DD2" 1951 "ENGLIT" "0315" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1450" "B+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1490" "B+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "SOC"    "0436" "x" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1971 "PHARM"  "1511" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1971 "PHARM"  "1512" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "CHEM"   "0320" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "ANTH"   "0780" "x" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 2174 "FR"     "0004" "A" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1941 "PHARM"  "1240" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1604" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "MUSIC"  "0211" "A+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1961 "PHARM"  "1400" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "PS"     "0200" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "DSPHL"  "1130" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "CHEM"   "0340" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "CHEM"   "0310" "C" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1944 "PHARM"  "1210" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1961 "PHARM"  "1440" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1944 "PHARM"  "1230" "D" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "CHEM"   "0330" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1961 "PHARM"  "1480" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "PHARM"  "1310" "C+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1941 "PHARM"  "1260" "A" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1944 "PHARM"  "1270" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1951 "DSPHL"  "1120" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1410" "A" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1951 "PHARM"  "1600" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1974 "PHARM"  "1780" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "MUSIC"  "0311" "x" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "MUSIC"  "0311" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1951 "PHARM"  "1320" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "PHARM"  "1330" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1951 "PHARM"  "1340" "C-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1150" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "PHARM"  "1390" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "PHARM"  "1601" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1951 "PHARM"  "1300" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1944 "PHARM"  "1290" "A" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1941 "PHARM"  "1200" "B+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1961 "PHARM"  "1420" "B+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 2171 "FR"     "0003" "A" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "MUSIC"  "0211" "x" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1934 "ENGCMP" "0150" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1974 "PHARM"  "1700" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "ANTH"   "0780" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1931 "SOC"    "0436" "B+"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1941 "COMMRC" "1018" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1971 "PHARM"  "1501" "S" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1961 "PHARM"  "1140" "B" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1954 "PHARM"  "1350" "C" 
"C02DF75B5319766" 1964 "PHARM"  "1430" "A-"
"C02DF75B5319766" 1941 "DSMIC"  "1130" "B" 
end

[Clyde Schechter]

I'm guessing that username_h is the student ID variable and term_cd encodes, in some order-preserving way, the academic term? If that's right

sort username_h term_cd

will do what you ask.

[Mike Lacy]

In the "deeper" (i.e., PDF) help information on -sort-, there is an example titled "Sorting on Multiple Variables." This and the other material there might be of interest to Eric McChesney

[Eric McChesney]

Wonderfully helpful, thank you both. I'll attempt that later this afternoon.

[Eric McChesney]

Mike Lacy Clyde Schechter This worked very well. What an elegant solution. Thank you both!