(r601) error - File not found during code replication

[Clara Guillet]

Hello,

I am currently trying to replicate a Stata code but I am having trouble at the very beginning. The beginning of the code goes:

set more off
clear all

global MatchingDoFiles   "C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test\ABE_algorithm_code\codes"            
global datadirA             "C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test\1850_census"                
global datadirB             "C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test\1880_census"              
global outdir              "C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test\Cleaned_data"                        
global matchdir          "C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test\Matched_data"                            

foreach state in NewYork {

use `"$datadirA\1850_NewYork.dta"', clear
}

(I already adapted the code by deleting all other states except New York; however, the error message was the same with all 50 US states, as it is in the original code.)

And this is where I run into trouble. I have adapted the file paths to replect my computer's file paths, as instructed. However, it cannot seem to find them, as this message pops up:

file C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's
    thesis\STATA\test\1850_census\1850_NewYork.dta not found
r(601);

I do not understand how it cannot find this file, which does exist and works perfectly well when opened in another Stata window. Is the use of

global

incorrectly done?

I have also tried defining the working director as ""C:\Users\clero\OneDrive\Documenti\Master's thesis\STATA\test", but this makes no difference. I feel like the error is probably to to a simple syntax error, but I can't figure out what.

For further information, I use Stata/SE 17.0 and I am quite a new user.

Please let me know if you have an idea of what went wrong or if you need further information. Thank you for your help!

[Sergiy Radyakin]

I do not understand how it cannot find this file, which does exist and works perfectly well when opened in another Stata window

1. Double-click that file in Explorer to open in Stata.
2. Then press PageUp to bring the -use- command to the command window.
3. Copy the command to your do file below the one that is already there.
4. Compare character-by-character.

Typically the difference will be in something minor, like a different kind of apostrophe used, which is not clearly visible to the human eye, but computers are sensitive to. Like in this example:

clear

input tеst
1
end

list test

If that doesn't help, consider having a firm copy (away from OneDrive, or other similar virtual folders software) and retrying there.

Hope this helps, Sergiy