Can I simulataneously move directories when I utilize the commands "use" and "save" using relative paths?

[Dev Irani]

So I have organized my files such as in the Superproject folder I have folders called Scripts, Data, Analysis1, Analysis2, etc. Within Scripts folder I have the main script and all the nested scripts, that is all the .do files. So what I want to do is: write a command in the .do file that is placed within Scripts, that will navigate back, go to Data folder, and use the file `1'data. Here `1' refers to the year that I hope to use as the argument. After all the analysis is done I want to save the outputs in the Analysis1 folder, so I want it to navigate back a directory, then go into Analysis1 and save it as `1'analysis.

What kind of command using relative paths will work here?

use ../Data/`1'data, clear

save ../Analysis1/`1'analysis, replace

[Tiago Pereira]

Type:

help cd

[Dev Irani]

Thanks Tiago, but using cd changes the working directory itself, rather than using the file from a different directory

[Tiago Pereira]

Hi, Dev.
If you can provide us with more detailed information about what you need, and I'm confident that either I or other Stata users can help. It seems I did not understand your post.

[Daniel Schaefer]

Dev, it looks to me like you want to be able to define relative paths from a working directory one level up from the current working directory. If so, Tiago is right, you can do this with cd.

cd ..
use /Data/`1'data, clear
save /Analysis1/`1'analysis, replace

You are right that cd changes the working directory only, but it is fairly straight forward to use the cd command in combination with other commands.

[Maarten Buis]

Both of Dev's commands work, assuming that he started in his scripts folder. Notice that when you run a do file, that will not set your working directory to where that file is stored. When you installed Stata you chose where Stata is by default, and you can use cd to change the current working directory. I usually do that only once in a project, in the main.do file. That way I can easily run my project on multiple computers just by changing that one line.

[Dev Irani]

Thanks a lot for all your help. I think Maarten's comment resolves my query. I was assuming that my working directory changes when I run a .do file. I'll try to be a little nifty with relative paths