combining code and associated string names

[Tariku Getaneh]

Hi all,
Assuming you have a dataset with two columns: code (numeric) and name (string), how can you create a new variable named combined_variable that attaches the numeric code to the name?

Best regards,
tg

[Andrew Musau]

If you are asking about concatenating strings, see the -concat()- function of egen.

help egen

You could also do it directly by adding the strings. Numerical variables need to be passed through the -string()- function.

egen wanted1 = concat(code name), punct(" ")

or

gen wanted2 = string(code) + " " + name

[Tariku Getaneh]

Hi Andrew,
Thank you so much, but that is not what I want. Apologies for the confusion. When I say attach, it is not in the concat way, but when I tabulate combined_variable, Stata should show me the names whereas when I tabulate combined_variable, nolabel, Stata should show the numeric code. Hope this is clear.

Best regards,
tg

[Rich Goldstein]

still not completely clear to me but here's a guess - use -egen- with the group() function and the label option; see

h egen

[Tariku Getaneh]

Apologies once again. suppose you have a sex indicator variable identifying 1=male, 2=female. So, if I type in Stata "tab sex" I will see the proportion of male and female, but if I type tab sex, nolabel I will see the proportion with numerical values 1 and 2. I want to create a variable like sex, by attaching the code (which is numeric) with its corresponding name (string).

[Andrew Musau]

when I tabulate combined_variable, Stata should show me the names whereas when I tabulate combined_variable

Sounds like you want to label the numerical variable "code" using values of the string variable "name". You can look at labmask from the Stata Journal.

net install gr0034, from(http://www.stata-journal.com/software/sj8-2)

labmask code, values(name)
tab code
tab code, nolab

[Tariku Getaneh]

Thank you so much that is what I want.

Best Wishes,
tg