Changing/Editing a formatted "date" variable on STATA

[Mamunur Rahman]

I need to edit a few observations of "date" variables using the STATA browser/edit option. The date variable is already formatted using the necessary syntax. Is there a way I can edit/change these selected observations (from date to MM/DD/YYYY? The date of these observations has been wrongly written as DD/MM/YYYY. I will be grateful to receive teh advice. Thanks

[Andrew Musau]

Do not manually edit the data. If it is a matter of simply changing the display format, then use the command highlighted below.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float date
23620
end
format %tdD/N/Y date

list
format date %tdN/D/Y 
list

Res.:

. format %tdD/N/Y date

.
.
.
. list

     +----------+
     |     date |
     |----------|
  1. | 01/09/24 |
     +----------+

.
. format date %tdN/D/Y

.
. list

     +----------+
     |     date |
     |----------|
  1. | 09/01/24 |
     +----------+

[Andrew Musau]

If #1 corresponds to below where some dates are incorrect, then you can tag the incorrect dates and do the following:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float(date tag)
23620 0
23621 0
23444 1
23623 0
23624 0
23536 1
23626 0
end
format %tdN/D/Y date

*INCORRECT DATES (tag==1)
list, sep(0)

replace date= mdy(day(date), month(date), year(date)) if tag
list, sep(0)

Res.:

. *INCORRECT DATES (tag==1)

. 
. list, sep(0)

     +----------------+
     |     date   tag |
     |----------------|
  1. | 09/01/24     0 |
  2. | 09/02/24     0 |
  3. | 03/09/24     1 |
  4. | 09/04/24     0 |
  5. | 09/05/24     0 |
  6. | 06/09/24     1 |
  7. | 09/07/24     0 |
     +----------------+

. 
. 
. 
. replace date= mdy(day(date), month(date), year(date)) if tag
(2 real changes made)

. 
. list, sep(0)

     +----------------+
     |     date   tag |
     |----------------|
  1. | 09/01/24     0 |
  2. | 09/02/24     0 |
  3. | 09/03/24     1 |
  4. | 09/04/24     0 |
  5. | 09/05/24     0 |
  6. | 09/06/24     1 |
  7. | 09/07/24     0 |
     +----------------+

[Mamunur Rahman]

If #1 corresponds to below where some dates are incorrect, then you can tag the incorrect dates and do the following:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float(date tag)
23620 0
23621 0
23444 1
23623 0
23624 0
23536 1
23626 0
end
format %tdN/D/Y date

*INCORRECT DATES (tag==1)
list, sep(0)

replace date= mdy(day(date), month(date), year(date)) if tag
list, sep(0)

Res.:

. *INCORRECT DATES (tag==1)

.
. list, sep(0)

+----------------+
| date tag |
|----------------|
1. | 09/01/24 0 |
2. | 09/02/24 0 |
3. | 03/09/24 1 |
4. | 09/04/24 0 |
5. | 09/05/24 0 |
6. | 06/09/24 1 |
7. | 09/07/24 0 |
+----------------+

.
.
.
. replace date= mdy(day(date), month(date), year(date)) if tag
(2 real changes made)

.
. list, sep(0)

+----------------+
| date tag |
|----------------|
1. | 09/01/24 0 |
2. | 09/02/24 0 |
3. | 09/03/24 1 |
4. | 09/04/24 0 |
5. | 09/05/24 0 |
6. | 09/06/24 1 |
7. | 09/07/24 0 |
+----------------+

Thank you. Very helpful