[Aziz Essouaied]

Nick Cox Hello there M. Cox;

Sorry if this post took more time and explanation than it should have to, but I keep getting back to it once I get problems with such elaborate time graphs, your explanation is helpful.

I'm working with this data currently on a 13.1 Stata version:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str10 Month float Value
"01/30/2015" 1994.99
"02/27/2015"  2104.5
"03/31/2015" 2067.89
"04/30/2015" 2085.51
"05/29/2015" 2107.39
"06/30/2015" 2063.11
"07/31/2015" 2103.84
"08/31/2015" 1972.18
"09/30/2015" 1920.03
"10/30/2015" 2079.36
"11/30/2015" 2080.41
"12/31/2015" 2043.94
"01/29/2016" 1940.24
"02/29/2016" 1932.23
"03/31/2016" 2059.74
"04/29/2016"  2065.3
"05/31/2016" 2096.96
"06/30/2016" 2098.86
"07/29/2016"  2173.6
"08/31/2016" 2170.95
"09/30/2016" 2168.27
"10/31/2016" 2126.15
"11/30/2016" 2198.81
"12/30/2016" 2238.83
"01/31/2017" 2278.87
"02/28/2017" 2363.64
"03/31/2017" 2362.72
"04/28/2017"  2384.2
"05/31/2017"  2411.8
"06/30/2017" 2423.41
"07/31/2017"  2470.3
"08/31/2017" 2471.65
"09/29/2017" 2519.36
"10/31/2017" 2575.26
"11/30/2017" 2647.58
"12/29/2017" 2673.61
"01/31/2018" 2823.81
"02/28/2018" 2713.83
"03/29/2018" 2640.87
"04/30/2018" 2648.05
"05/31/2018" 2705.27
"06/29/2018" 2718.37
"07/31/2018" 2816.29
"08/31/2018" 2901.52
"09/28/2018" 2913.98
"10/31/2018" 2711.74
"11/30/2018" 2760.17
"12/31/2018" 2506.85
"01/31/2019"  2704.1
"02/28/2019" 2784.49
"03/29/2019"  2834.4
"04/30/2019" 2945.83
"05/31/2019" 2752.06
"06/28/2019" 2941.76
"07/31/2019" 2980.38
"08/30/2019" 2926.46
"09/30/2019" 2976.74
"10/31/2019" 3037.56
"11/29/2019" 3140.98
"12/31/2019" 3230.78
"01/31/2020" 3225.52
"02/28/2020" 2954.22
"03/31/2020" 2584.59
"04/30/2020" 2912.43
"05/29/2020" 3044.31
"06/30/2020" 3100.29
"07/31/2020" 3271.12
"08/31/2020" 3500.31
"09/30/2020"    3363
"10/30/2020" 3269.96
"11/30/2020" 3621.63
"12/31/2020" 3756.07
"01/29/2021" 3714.24
"02/26/2021" 3811.15
"03/31/2021" 3972.89
"04/30/2021" 4181.17
"05/28/2021" 4204.11
"06/30/2021"  4297.5
"07/30/2021" 4395.26
"08/31/2021" 4522.68
"09/30/2021" 4307.54
"10/29/2021" 4605.38
"11/30/2021"    4567
"12/31/2021" 4766.18
"01/31/2022" 4515.55
"02/28/2022" 4373.94
"03/31/2022" 4530.41
"04/29/2022" 4131.93
"05/31/2022" 4132.15
"06/30/2022" 3785.38
"07/29/2022" 4130.29
"08/31/2022"    3955
"09/30/2022" 3585.62
"10/31/2022" 3871.98
"11/30/2022" 4080.11
"12/31/2022"  3839.5
"01/31/2023"  4076.6
"02/28/2023" 3970.15
"03/31/2023" 4109.31
"04/28/2023" 4169.48
end

This data shows the evolution on a stock market index by month, starting from 2015 until 2025.

I'm using this code that's inspired by your suggestions:
gen mdate = monthly(substr(Month, 1, 7), "YM")
local tickpos = ym(2015, 12) + 0.5
local ticks `tickpos'
forval y = 2015/2025 {
local labelpos = `tickpos' + 6
local labels `labels' `labelpos' "`y'"
local tickpos = ym(`y', 12) + 0.5
local ticks `ticks' `tickpos'
}

label var Value " Value "
line Value mdate, lc(red blue) yla(, ang(h)) ytitle(%, orient(horiz)) xla(`labels', noticks) xticks(`ticks', tlength(*3)) xtitle("") legend(ring(0) pos(11) col(1)) xsc(r(. `=ym(2025, 6)')) xli(`ticks', lc(gs12))

Yet, I do get an empty graph without the line of the index that I'm studying.

Any help with this code please?

With many thanks!

[Nick Cox]

Statalist is playing up again on my posts. This is a reply to Aziz Essouaied 's earlier post.

Your first line of preparation code contains an error that is fatal for your graph, Otherwise I spotfed two smaller errors.

Consider

.  di substr("01/30/2015", 1, 7)
01/30/2

.  di monthly(substr("01/30/2015", 1, 7), "YM")
.

You want to ignore the day of the month, but that's not the way to do it. All your monthly dates become missings. There should have been a message from Stata when you called up monthly() about missing values.

Here's corrected code. Incorrect statements are commented out.

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str10 Month float Value
"01/30/2015" 1994.99
"02/27/2015"  2104.5
"03/31/2015" 2067.89
"04/30/2015" 2085.51
"05/29/2015" 2107.39
"06/30/2015" 2063.11
"07/31/2015" 2103.84
"08/31/2015" 1972.18
"09/30/2015" 1920.03
"10/30/2015" 2079.36
"11/30/2015" 2080.41
"12/31/2015" 2043.94
"01/29/2016" 1940.24
"02/29/2016" 1932.23
"03/31/2016" 2059.74
"04/29/2016"  2065.3
"05/31/2016" 2096.96
"06/30/2016" 2098.86
"07/29/2016"  2173.6
"08/31/2016" 2170.95
"09/30/2016" 2168.27
"10/31/2016" 2126.15
"11/30/2016" 2198.81
"12/30/2016" 2238.83
"01/31/2017" 2278.87
"02/28/2017" 2363.64
"03/31/2017" 2362.72
"04/28/2017"  2384.2
"05/31/2017"  2411.8
"06/30/2017" 2423.41
"07/31/2017"  2470.3
"08/31/2017" 2471.65
"09/29/2017" 2519.36
"10/31/2017" 2575.26
"11/30/2017" 2647.58
"12/29/2017" 2673.61
"01/31/2018" 2823.81
"02/28/2018" 2713.83
"03/29/2018" 2640.87
"04/30/2018" 2648.05
"05/31/2018" 2705.27
"06/29/2018" 2718.37
"07/31/2018" 2816.29
"08/31/2018" 2901.52
"09/28/2018" 2913.98
"10/31/2018" 2711.74
"11/30/2018" 2760.17
"12/31/2018" 2506.85
"01/31/2019"  2704.1
"02/28/2019" 2784.49
"03/29/2019"  2834.4
"04/30/2019" 2945.83
"05/31/2019" 2752.06
"06/28/2019" 2941.76
"07/31/2019" 2980.38
"08/30/2019" 2926.46
"09/30/2019" 2976.74
"10/31/2019" 3037.56
"11/29/2019" 3140.98
"12/31/2019" 3230.78
"01/31/2020" 3225.52
"02/28/2020" 2954.22
"03/31/2020" 2584.59
"04/30/2020" 2912.43
"05/29/2020" 3044.31
"06/30/2020" 3100.29
"07/31/2020" 3271.12
"08/31/2020" 3500.31
"09/30/2020"    3363
"10/30/2020" 3269.96
"11/30/2020" 3621.63
"12/31/2020" 3756.07
"01/29/2021" 3714.24
"02/26/2021" 3811.15
"03/31/2021" 3972.89
"04/30/2021" 4181.17
"05/28/2021" 4204.11
"06/30/2021"  4297.5
"07/30/2021" 4395.26
"08/31/2021" 4522.68
"09/30/2021" 4307.54
"10/29/2021" 4605.38
"11/30/2021"    4567
"12/31/2021" 4766.18
"01/31/2022" 4515.55
"02/28/2022" 4373.94
"03/31/2022" 4530.41
"04/29/2022" 4131.93
"05/31/2022" 4132.15
"06/30/2022" 3785.38
"07/29/2022" 4130.29
"08/31/2022"    3955
"09/30/2022" 3585.62
"10/31/2022" 3871.98
"11/30/2022" 4080.11
"12/31/2022"  3839.5
"01/31/2023"  4076.6
"02/28/2023" 3970.15
"03/31/2023" 4109.31
"04/28/2023" 4169.48
end

* gen mdate = monthly(substr(Month, 1, 7), "YM")
gen mdate = mofd(daily(Month, "MDY"))
* local tickpos = ym(2015, 12) + 0.5
local tickpos = ym(2014, 12) + 0.5
local ticks `tickpos'
forval y = 2015/2025 {
local labelpos = `tickpos' + 6
local labels `labels' `labelpos' "`y'"
local tickpos = ym(`y', 12) + 0.5
local ticks `ticks' `tickpos'
}

label var Value " Value "
line Value mdate, lc(red blue) yla(, ang(h)) ytitle(%, orient(horiz)) xla(`labels', noticks) xticks(`ticks', tlength(*3)) xtitle("") legend(ring(0) pos(11) col(1)) xsc(r(. `=ym(2025, 6)')) xli(`ticks', lc(gs12)) note(the y axis title is probably wrong)

Small errors: the small tick should be at end 2014, not end 2015; the y axis title is presumably not "%".



Some broad hints on debugging are included within https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...thodology-data A much extended version will appear in the Stata Journal next year.

In this case steps that you could have (should have) taken include

* Noting Stata's message about missing values

* Looking at the help for substr().

* Looking at the result of monthly() with your input.

[Aziz Essouaied]

Nick Cox Thanks! That worked

[Aziz Essouaied]

Nick Cox I'm so invested in this code and its idea that I'm trying to work on different types of data that could be solved using the same method. I went and looked for a data with the time variable defined by days, so, now the days are going to be the points on my hraph, and the months will be the intervals. I'm sorry if I'm asking for too much, but I've tried with a code, and it doesn't seem to work.

Here's my data:

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str10 Date float(Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate ddate mdate)
"2024-01-02" 119.6165 23377 768
"2024-01-03" 120.0407 23378 768
"2024-01-04" 119.9775 23379 768
"2024-01-05" 119.7474 23380 768
"2024-01-08" 119.6237 23383 768
"2024-01-09" 120.0296 23384 768
"2024-01-10" 120.1258 23385 768
"2024-01-11" 120.2516 23386 768
"2024-01-12" 119.9009 23387 768
"2024-01-15"        . 23390 768
"2024-01-16" 120.9213 23391 768
"2024-01-17" 121.3823 23392 768
"2024-01-18" 121.2366 23393 768
"2024-01-19" 120.9947 23394 768
"2024-01-22" 120.9687 23397 768
"2024-01-23" 121.4244 23398 768
"2024-01-24" 120.8336 23399 768
"2024-01-25"  121.167 23400 768
"2024-01-26" 120.9665 23401 768
"2024-01-29" 121.1888 23404 768
"2024-01-30" 120.9442 23405 768
"2024-01-31" 120.7727 23406 768
"2024-02-01" 120.6832 23407 769
"2024-02-02" 121.2438 23408 769
"2024-02-05" 121.6831 23411 769
"2024-02-06" 121.3021 23412 769
"2024-02-07" 121.2518 23413 769
"2024-02-08" 121.4226 23414 769
"2024-02-09" 121.3851 23415 769
"2024-02-12" 121.2839 23418 769
"2024-02-13" 121.8558 23419 769
"2024-02-14" 121.7411 23420 769
"2024-02-15" 121.5567 23421 769
"2024-02-16" 121.4984 23422 769
"2024-02-19"        . 23425 769
"2024-02-20" 121.3769 23426 769
"2024-02-21" 121.3918 23427 769
"2024-02-22" 121.4589 23428 769
"2024-02-23" 121.3991 23429 769
"2024-02-26" 121.4197 23432 769
"2024-02-27" 121.3297 23433 769
"2024-02-28" 121.4886 23434 769
"2024-02-29" 121.5385 23435 769
"2024-03-01" 121.3741 23436 770
"2024-03-04" 121.2454 23439 770
"2024-03-05" 121.2575 23440 770
"2024-03-06" 120.8481 23441 770
"2024-03-07" 120.5744 23442 770
"2024-03-08" 120.3612 23443 770
"2024-03-11" 120.4205 23446 770
"2024-03-12" 120.5468 23447 770
"2024-03-13" 120.3533 23448 770
"2024-03-14" 120.6272 23449 770
"2024-03-15" 120.7884 23450 770
"2024-03-18" 120.9572 23453 770
"2024-03-19" 121.3111 23454 770
"2024-03-20" 121.3092 23455 770
"2024-03-21" 121.1869 23456 770
"2024-03-22" 121.5694 23457 770
"2024-03-25" 121.4143 23460 770
"2024-03-26" 121.4613 23461 770
"2024-03-27" 121.4048 23462 770
"2024-03-28" 121.4498 23463 770
"2024-03-29" 121.4062 23464 770
"2024-04-01" 121.8884 23467 771
"2024-04-02" 121.6881 23468 771
"2024-04-03" 121.4129 23469 771
"2024-04-04" 121.1646 23470 771
"2024-04-05" 121.3671 23471 771
"2024-04-08" 121.1487 23474 771
"2024-04-09" 121.1215 23475 771
"2024-04-10" 121.9628 23476 771
"2024-04-11"  122.003 23477 771
"2024-04-12" 122.6566 23478 771
"2024-04-15" 122.7932 23481 771
"2024-04-16" 123.4732 23482 771
"2024-04-17"  123.375 23483 771
"2024-04-18" 123.3481 23484 771
"2024-04-19" 123.4459 23485 771
"2024-04-22" 123.4011 23488 771
"2024-04-23" 123.0779 23489 771
"2024-04-24" 123.2398 23490 771
"2024-04-25" 123.1916 23491 771
"2024-04-26" 123.3004 23492 771
"2024-04-29" 122.9074 23495 771
"2024-04-30" 123.3446 23496 771
"2024-05-01" 123.3776 23497 772
"2024-05-02" 122.8047 23498 772
"2024-05-03" 122.5056 23499 772
"2024-05-06" 122.2529 23502 772
"2024-05-07" 122.4588 23503 772
"2024-05-08" 122.5562 23504 772
"2024-05-09" 122.5322 23505 772
"2024-05-10" 122.3898 23506 772
"2024-05-13" 122.4068 23509 772
"2024-05-14" 122.3094 23510 772
"2024-05-15" 121.7471 23511 772
"2024-05-16" 121.6189 23512 772
"2024-05-17"  121.638 23513 772
"2024-05-20" 121.6377 23516 772
end
format %td ddate
format %tm mdate

It is an exchange rate defined daily. I want to do the same thing: to draw a graph which shows the evolution of the exchange rate daily, from January the 2nd 2024 to the 24th of October 2025. I have tried with this code:
* Convert Date to Stata daily date
gen ddate = daily(Date, "YMD")
format ddate %td

* Create a monthly variable
gen mdate = mofd(ddate)
format mdate %tm

*----------------------------
* Build tick marks and labels for months and years
*----------------------------
* Start year and end year
local startyear = 2024
local endyear = 2025

* Create month and year tick positions
local monthticks ""
local monthlabels ""
local yearticks ""
local yearlabels ""

forval y = `startyear'/`endyear' {
forval m = 1/12 {
local monthticks `monthticks' `=ym(`y', `m')'
local monthlabels `monthlabels' `=ym(`y', `m')' `"`:display %tmMon `=ym(`y', `m')'`"'"
}
* Add yearly dividers
local yearticks `yearticks' `=ym(`y', 12) + 0.5'
local yearlabels `yearlabels' `=ym(`y', 6)' "`y'"
}


label var Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate "Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (Index)"

twoway ///
(line Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate ddate, lc(blue) lw(medthick) ///
msymbol(o) msize(vsmall) ///
mcolor(blue%40)) ///
, ///
xla(`monthlabels', ang(45) noticks) ///
xticks(`monthticks', tlength(0)) ///
xline(`yearticks', lc(gs12) lw(vthin)) ///
yla(, ang(h)) ///
ytitle("Index (Nominal Effective Exchange Rate)", orient(horiz)) ///
xtitle("") ///
legend(off) ///
title("Daily Nominal Effective Exchange Rate 2024–2025") ///

But, I get an error message telling me there are too few quotes. Any help please? With many thanks.

[Nick Cox]

Indeed, Run

macro list

before the graph call to see that your month labels are a bit of a mess.

There are several details here you need to change and several details I want to change.

The most fundamental is that you're plotting against daily date. Therefore the positions of the month and year labels must all be given as daily dates.

I commented out commands already run before the data example. A horizontal y axis title is not what I would choose. The last /// causes Stata to think you've posted an incomplete command.

Detailed study of this version of your code may help.

* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str10 Date float(Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate ddate mdate)
"2024-01-02" 119.6165 23377 768
"2024-01-03" 120.0407 23378 768
"2024-01-04" 119.9775 23379 768
"2024-01-05" 119.7474 23380 768
"2024-01-08" 119.6237 23383 768
"2024-01-09" 120.0296 23384 768
"2024-01-10" 120.1258 23385 768
"2024-01-11" 120.2516 23386 768
"2024-01-12" 119.9009 23387 768
"2024-01-15"        . 23390 768
"2024-01-16" 120.9213 23391 768
"2024-01-17" 121.3823 23392 768
"2024-01-18" 121.2366 23393 768
"2024-01-19" 120.9947 23394 768
"2024-01-22" 120.9687 23397 768
"2024-01-23" 121.4244 23398 768
"2024-01-24" 120.8336 23399 768
"2024-01-25"  121.167 23400 768
"2024-01-26" 120.9665 23401 768
"2024-01-29" 121.1888 23404 768
"2024-01-30" 120.9442 23405 768
"2024-01-31" 120.7727 23406 768
"2024-02-01" 120.6832 23407 769
"2024-02-02" 121.2438 23408 769
"2024-02-05" 121.6831 23411 769
"2024-02-06" 121.3021 23412 769
"2024-02-07" 121.2518 23413 769
"2024-02-08" 121.4226 23414 769
"2024-02-09" 121.3851 23415 769
"2024-02-12" 121.2839 23418 769
"2024-02-13" 121.8558 23419 769
"2024-02-14" 121.7411 23420 769
"2024-02-15" 121.5567 23421 769
"2024-02-16" 121.4984 23422 769
"2024-02-19"        . 23425 769
"2024-02-20" 121.3769 23426 769
"2024-02-21" 121.3918 23427 769
"2024-02-22" 121.4589 23428 769
"2024-02-23" 121.3991 23429 769
"2024-02-26" 121.4197 23432 769
"2024-02-27" 121.3297 23433 769
"2024-02-28" 121.4886 23434 769
"2024-02-29" 121.5385 23435 769
"2024-03-01" 121.3741 23436 770
"2024-03-04" 121.2454 23439 770
"2024-03-05" 121.2575 23440 770
"2024-03-06" 120.8481 23441 770
"2024-03-07" 120.5744 23442 770
"2024-03-08" 120.3612 23443 770
"2024-03-11" 120.4205 23446 770
"2024-03-12" 120.5468 23447 770
"2024-03-13" 120.3533 23448 770
"2024-03-14" 120.6272 23449 770
"2024-03-15" 120.7884 23450 770
"2024-03-18" 120.9572 23453 770
"2024-03-19" 121.3111 23454 770
"2024-03-20" 121.3092 23455 770
"2024-03-21" 121.1869 23456 770
"2024-03-22" 121.5694 23457 770
"2024-03-25" 121.4143 23460 770
"2024-03-26" 121.4613 23461 770
"2024-03-27" 121.4048 23462 770
"2024-03-28" 121.4498 23463 770
"2024-03-29" 121.4062 23464 770
"2024-04-01" 121.8884 23467 771
"2024-04-02" 121.6881 23468 771
"2024-04-03" 121.4129 23469 771
"2024-04-04" 121.1646 23470 771
"2024-04-05" 121.3671 23471 771
"2024-04-08" 121.1487 23474 771
"2024-04-09" 121.1215 23475 771
"2024-04-10" 121.9628 23476 771
"2024-04-11"  122.003 23477 771
"2024-04-12" 122.6566 23478 771
"2024-04-15" 122.7932 23481 771
"2024-04-16" 123.4732 23482 771
"2024-04-17"  123.375 23483 771
"2024-04-18" 123.3481 23484 771
"2024-04-19" 123.4459 23485 771
"2024-04-22" 123.4011 23488 771
"2024-04-23" 123.0779 23489 771
"2024-04-24" 123.2398 23490 771
"2024-04-25" 123.1916 23491 771
"2024-04-26" 123.3004 23492 771
"2024-04-29" 122.9074 23495 771
"2024-04-30" 123.3446 23496 771
"2024-05-01" 123.3776 23497 772
"2024-05-02" 122.8047 23498 772
"2024-05-03" 122.5056 23499 772
"2024-05-06" 122.2529 23502 772
"2024-05-07" 122.4588 23503 772
"2024-05-08" 122.5562 23504 772
"2024-05-09" 122.5322 23505 772
"2024-05-10" 122.3898 23506 772
"2024-05-13" 122.4068 23509 772
"2024-05-14" 122.3094 23510 772
"2024-05-15" 121.7471 23511 772
"2024-05-16" 121.6189 23512 772
"2024-05-17"  121.638 23513 772
"2024-05-20" 121.6377 23516 772
end
format %td ddate
format %tm mdate

* It is an exchange rate defined daily. I want to do the same thing: to draw a
* graph which shows the evolution of the exchange rate daily, from 2 Jan 2024 to
* 24 Oct 2025. I have tried with this code:
* Convert Date to Stata daily date

* gen ddate = daily(Date, "YMD")
* format ddate %td

* Create a monthly variable
* gen mdate = mofd(ddate)
* format mdate %tm

*----------------------------
* Build tick marks and labels for months and years
*----------------------------
* Start year and end year
local startyear = 2024
local endyear = 2025

* Create month and year tick positions
local monthticks ""
local monthlabels ""
local yearticks ""
local yearlabels ""

forval y = `startyear'/`endyear' {
forval m = 1/12 {
local monthticks `monthticks' `=mdy(`m', 1, `y')'
local monthlabels `monthlabels' `=mdy(`m', 15, `y')' "`m'"
}
* Add yearly dividers
local yearticks `yearticks' `=mdy(12, 31, `y') + 0.5'
local yearlabels `yearlabels' `=mdy(6, 30,`y')' "`y'"
}


label var Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate "Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (Index)"

macro list

twoway ///
(line Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rate ddate, lc(blue) lw(medthick) ///
msymbol(o) msize(vsmall) ///
mcolor(blue%40)) ///
, ///
xla(`monthlabels', noticks nogrid) ///
xticks(`monthticks', grid glc(gs12) glp(solid) tlength(0)) ///
xline(`yearticks', lp(solid) lc(gs8) lw(medthin)) ///
xmla(`yearlabels', labsize(medlarge) tlength(*5) tlc(none)) ///
yla(, ang(h)) ///
ytitle("Index (Nominal Effective Exchange Rate)") ///
xtitle("") ///
legend(off) ///
title("Daily Nominal Effective Exchange Rate 2024–2025")