syntax: add a minus before a list of variables

[Chen Samulsion]

Dear Stata users,

I want to make a convenient wrapper using gsort command. My question is how to add a minus before every variable in my varlist. Thank you.

program define gsort2
syntax varlist
gsort -`varlist' //NOT the right way, but use tokenize?
......

What I want to achieve is letting

gsort2 price weight mpg, EQUALS(=)
gsort -price -weight -mpg

[Joseph Coveney]

Maybe something like the following.

version 17.0

clear *

program define gsort2
    version 17.0
    syntax varlist

    local varlist : subinstr local varlist " " " -", all
    gsort -`varlist'
end

*
* Tryout
*
quietly sysuse auto

gsort2 rep78 foreign price

list rep78 foreign price if rep78 == rep78[1], noobs separator(0)

exit

[Chen Samulsion]

Thank you very much Joseph Coveney. It is so magic with " " " -". I never imagine I can add a minus to every variable in such an elegant way.

subinstr { local | global } mname [`]"from"['] [`]"to"['] [, all word count({ local | global } mname) ]