Nice labels for dates in line graph

[Navi Reddy]

In the below line graph, I would like to control the labels displayed on the x-axis. Could you please tell me how I can force the dates to show only the starting month of each year like 2009m1, 2010m1, 2011m1 and so on with the display format of only four-digit years. Also, is there a way to customize the labels such that the axis displays every second or third year? Thank you!

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float date double(price)
588 1.426
589 1.258
590 1.292
591 1.396
592 1.489
593 1.802
594 1.695
595   1.9
596 1.773
597 1.941
598  1.98
599 1.959
600 2.035
601 1.998
602 2.125
603 2.267
604 2.093
605 2.066
606 2.042
607 2.093
608  2.13
609 2.252
610 2.324
611 2.446
612 2.601
613 2.793
614 3.081
615 3.231
616 3.001
617 3.015
618 3.117
619 2.974
620 2.937
621  2.96
622 3.046
623 2.878
624 3.034
625 3.178
626  3.27
627 3.217
628 2.947
629 2.667
630 2.879
631 3.143
632 3.186
633 3.157
634 2.997
635  2.96
636 3.044
637   3.2
638 3.007
639 2.879
640 2.843
641 2.861
642 2.981
643  3.04
644 3.014
645 2.935
646 2.857
647 2.953
648 2.913
649 2.973
650 2.917
651 2.932
652 2.904
653 2.921
654 2.842
655 2.821
656 2.709
657   2.5
658 2.314
659 1.784
660 1.531
661 1.824
662 1.711
663 1.776
664 1.917
665 1.802
666 1.624
667 1.463
668 1.444
669 1.418
670 1.351
671 1.089
672  .958
673  .999
674 1.127
675 1.199
676 1.378
677  1.46
678 1.343
679 1.379
680   1.4
681 1.544
682 1.427
683 1.596
end
format %tm date

nicelabels date, local(datelbl) nvals(10) tight
mylabels `datelbl', local(mydatelbl)

nicelabels price, local(ylbl) nvals(10) tight
mylabels `ylbl', prefix("$") local(myylbl)

line price date, ylabel(`myylbl', angle(0)) tlabel(`datelbl')

[Nick Cox]

nicelabels and mylabels are written up at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf...6867X221141058

I have a different suggestion based on https://www.stata-journal.com/articl...article=gr0030 The trickery here seems to be undone by an assigned monthly date format, and I don't know why, but that is why I don't work with a variable with that display format.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float date double(price)
588 1.426
589 1.258
590 1.292
591 1.396
592 1.489
593 1.802
594 1.695
595   1.9
596 1.773
597 1.941
598  1.98
599 1.959
600 2.035
601 1.998
602 2.125
603 2.267
604 2.093
605 2.066
606 2.042
607 2.093
608  2.13
609 2.252
610 2.324
611 2.446
612 2.601
613 2.793
614 3.081
615 3.231
616 3.001
617 3.015
618 3.117
619 2.974
620 2.937
621  2.96
622 3.046
623 2.878
624 3.034
625 3.178
626  3.27
627 3.217
628 2.947
629 2.667
630 2.879
631 3.143
632 3.186
633 3.157
634 2.997
635  2.96
636 3.044
637   3.2
638 3.007
639 2.879
640 2.843
641 2.861
642 2.981
643  3.04
644 3.014
645 2.935
646 2.857
647 2.953
648 2.913
649 2.973
650 2.917
651 2.932
652 2.904
653 2.921
654 2.842
655 2.821
656 2.709
657   2.5
658 2.314
659 1.784
660 1.531
661 1.824
662 1.711
663 1.776
664 1.917
665 1.802
666 1.624
667 1.463
668 1.444
669 1.418
670 1.351
671 1.089
672  .958
673  .999
674 1.127
675 1.199
676 1.378
677  1.46
678 1.343
679 1.379
680   1.4
681 1.544
682 1.427
683 1.596
end
format %tm date

gen year = yofd(dofm(date))
su year, meanonly 

forval y = `r(min)'/`r(max)' { 
    local mid = ym(`y', 6) + 0.5 
    local end = ym(`y', 1) - 0.5 
    local xtick `xtick' `end'
    local xla `xla' `mid' "`y'"
}
local end = ym(r(max), 12) + 0.5 
local xtick `xtick' `end'

nicelabels price, local(ylbl) nvals(10) tight
mylabels `ylbl', prefix("$") local(myylbl)

gen DATE = date 

line price DATE, ylabel(`myylbl', angle(0)) xla(`xla', noticks) xtick(`xtick', tlength(*3)) xtitle("")

[Navi Reddy]

Nick Cox, thank you for that suggestion and links to additional reading material. It's really helpful!