zbmicat file not found error

[Clare Guse]

I have a data file where I have variables with body mass index (BMI) (bmi1), age in months (monthsold1), gender (male). I want to categorize the BMIs as normal, overweight and obese.

I am getting a file not found error message when I try to use the zbmicat extension to the egen function. It seems to be expecting a file and in my reading of the syntax, I don't see where one specifies a file when using the function. Here is my code:

. egen bmicat1 = zbmicat(bmi1), xvar(monthsold1) gender(male) gencode(male=1, female=0) ageunit(month)
file "zbmicat.dta" not found
r(601);

Clare

[Richard Williams]

It looks like zbmicat needs to be downloaded from Stata Journal. Do

net sj 13-2 dm0004_1

Then install from there, and get the other files if you want them.

[Clare Guse]

I do have the program installed.

[Richard Williams]

Ok, but did you get the ancillary files too? I think zbmicat.dta needs to be where Stata can find it. I got the same error you did but it went away once I got the ancillary files. My earleir message was wrong in implying that getting the other files was optional, since zbmicat.dta is an ancillary file.

[Clare Guse]

Thank you! Getting the ancillary files worked. I didn't realize I needed those when I installed the program.

[Richard Williams]

Looking at zbmicat.dta, it has 66 records: 33 ages (2, 2.5, 3...18) for each of 2 genders. I assume all the other variables are used to do the classification into bmi categories.

You can force a needed ancillary file to be downloaded when you install a program. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to have happened in this case, and it isn't immediately obvious to me from the documentation that you have to get the ancillary files too. But, maybe I am not reading carefully enough.

[Richard Williams]

One thing that is bad is that I can't tell what ancillary files are actually needed. I suppose you should just keep all of them. But you may have to be careful that they are in a place where Stata can always find them.

[Mubasher Mohammed]

Hi, Thanks for previous answers and comments it was really helpful, but in my case i have generated "zbmicat" but some values are missing even the BMI, sex, age are existed , am a beginner on zanthro software. what would be the reason for that?
Thanks