Transforming a time-variable in order to apply the Tsset command and draw a time graph

[Aziz Essouaied]

Hello Stata people;

I'm using Stata 13.1 version, and I have this data at hand:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str7 Month float Consumer_Price_Index_France
"2000-01" 79.19
"2000-02" 79.29
"2000-03" 79.66
"2000-04" 79.66
"2000-05" 79.83
"2000-06" 80.03
"2000-07" 79.89
"2000-08" 80.04
"2000-09" 80.45
"2000-10" 80.36
"2000-11" 80.54
"2000-12"  80.5
"2001-01" 80.15
"2001-02" 80.37
"2001-03" 80.73
"2001-04" 81.12
"2001-05" 81.63
"2001-06" 81.68
"2001-07"  81.5
"2001-08"  81.5
"2001-09" 81.65
"2001-10" 81.71
"2001-11" 81.48
"2001-12" 81.57
"2002-01" 81.96
"2002-02" 82.05
"2002-03"  82.4
"2002-04" 82.73
"2002-05" 82.83
"2002-06" 82.82
"2002-07" 82.81
"2002-08"    83
"2002-09" 83.16
"2002-10" 83.29
"2002-11" 83.29
"2002-12" 83.42
"2003-01" 83.59
"2003-02" 84.18
"2003-03" 84.51
"2003-04" 84.38
"2003-05" 84.28
"2003-06" 84.44
"2003-07" 84.35
"2003-08" 84.56
"2003-09" 84.89
"2003-10" 85.07
"2003-11" 85.17
"2003-12" 85.26
"2004-01" 85.25
"2004-02" 85.62
"2004-03" 85.96
"2004-04" 86.19
"2004-05"  86.5
"2004-06" 86.54
"2004-07" 86.39
"2004-08" 86.57
"2004-09" 86.65
"2004-10" 86.88
"2004-11" 86.93
"2004-12" 87.02
"2005-01" 86.53
"2005-02" 87.07
"2005-03" 87.63
"2005-04" 87.79
"2005-05" 87.85
"2005-06" 87.95
"2005-07" 87.82
"2005-08" 88.16
"2005-09"  88.5
"2005-10" 88.49
"2005-11"  88.3
"2005-12"  88.4
"2006-01" 88.32
"2006-02" 88.65
"2006-03" 88.91
"2006-04" 89.28
"2006-05" 89.67
"2006-06" 89.66
"2006-07" 89.51
"2006-08" 89.81
"2006-09" 89.61
"2006-10" 89.41
"2006-11" 89.51
"2006-12" 89.71
"2007-01" 89.39
"2007-02" 89.57
"2007-03" 89.96
"2007-04" 90.39
"2007-05" 90.62
"2007-06" 90.74
"2007-07"  90.5
"2007-08" 90.87
"2007-09" 90.96
"2007-10" 91.19
"2007-11"  91.7
"2007-12" 92.04
"2008-01" 91.93
"2008-02" 92.12
"2008-03" 92.82
"2008-04" 93.14
end

As you can see, it's a monthly series starting from January 2000. I do want to transform or destring that variable in a way that makes it possible to draw a time graph.

Any help please? With thanks

[Nick Cox]

These problems are much easier than you seem to think.

See now https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf...6867X251341416 for a guide to the subject, including principles used over and over again in threads that you have started.

Your top resource is the help.

I am pretty confident that monthly() and ym() were included in Stata 13.1.

gen wanted = monthly(Month, "YM")
format wanted %tm 

split Month, parse("-") destring 
gen wanted2 = ym(Month1, Month2)
format wanted2 %tm 

list in 1/12, sep(6)

     +----------------------------------------------------------+
     |   Month   Consum~e    wanted   Month1   Month2   wanted2 |
     |----------------------------------------------------------|
  1. | 2000-01      79.19    2000m1     2000        1    2000m1 |
  2. | 2000-02      79.29    2000m2     2000        2    2000m2 |
  3. | 2000-03      79.66    2000m3     2000        3    2000m3 |
  4. | 2000-04      79.66    2000m4     2000        4    2000m4 |
  5. | 2000-05      79.83    2000m5     2000        5    2000m5 |
  6. | 2000-06      80.03    2000m6     2000        6    2000m6 |
     |----------------------------------------------------------|
  7. | 2000-07      79.89    2000m7     2000        7    2000m7 |
  8. | 2000-08      80.04    2000m8     2000        8    2000m8 |
  9. | 2000-09      80.45    2000m9     2000        9    2000m9 |
 10. | 2000-10      80.36   2000m10     2000       10   2000m10 |
 11. | 2000-11      80.54   2000m11     2000       11   2000m11 |
 12. | 2000-12       80.5   2000m12     2000       12   2000m12 |
     +----------------------------------------------------------+

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