Import csv file

[Peter Baade]

Hi - I imported the attached csv file (publicly available from 1270.0.55.001 - Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, July 2016 (abs.gov.au) using the following code

import delimited "CED_2016_AUST.csv", clear

I then generated another variable from the first numeric variable

gen sa2= floor(sa1_maincode_2016/100)

format sa1 sa2 %14.0f

list sa1 sa2 in 1/5

This gave the following strange results

     +-------------------------+
     | sa1_ma~2016         sa2 |
     |-------------------------|
  1. | 11901135961   119011360 |
  2. | 11904137903   119041376 |
  3. | 11903137228   119031376 |
  4. | 11901136026   119011360 |
  5. | 11903136932   119031368 |
     +-------------------------+

Can someone please explain what the error in my approach is? I'm using Stata Version 17.0.

Peter.

[George Ford]

I get something different. Also using 17.

[George Ford]

            
    sa1_ma~2016    sa2    
            
1.    11901135961    119011359    
2.    11904137903    119041379    
3.    11903137228    119031372    
4.    11901136026    119011360    
5.    11903136932    119031369

[Peter Baade]

George - My understanding of the floor command is that the floor(11901135961/100) should be 119011359, not 119011360.

[George Ford]

i was thinking ceiling.

When I run your code, it appears to be correct.

[George Ford]

you try reboot?

[Peter Baade]

Thanks George Ford I have rebooted, and installed updates. Also tried on another PC, with the same results. Very strange.

[Andrew Musau]

I then generated another variable from the first numeric variable

gen sa2= floor(sa1_maincode_2016/100)

format sa1 sa2 %14.0f

list sa1 sa2 in 1/5

This gave the following strange results

+-------------------------+
| sa1_ma~2016 sa2 |
|-------------------------|
1. | 11901135961 119011360 |
2. | 11904137903 119041376 |
3. | 11903137228 119031376 |
4. | 11901136026 119011360 |
5. | 11903136932 119031368 |
+-------------------------+

Can someone please explain what the error in my approach is? I'm using Stata Version 17.0.

Peter.

Under

help precision

you have

Floats can store up to 16,777,215 exactly. If you stored your data in pennies, that would
correspond to $167,772.15.

So that means even after the division, the values are too large to be held as floats, which is the default. You need

gen double sa2= floor(sa1_maincode_2016/100)

[Peter Baade]

Andrew Musau Thanks for your guidance - that solved the issue, and something for me to keep in mind.

[George Ford]

You can "set type" to switch the default from float to double.

[Peter Baade]

Thanks George Ford . That explains why we had different results initially. I appreciate the advice.