Uploading Stata dataset

[Adam Guerrero]

Hi All,

I tried to upload a Stata dataset in a previous post, but experienced issues. However, I see that another Statalist member was recently able to perform this task (the datasets were referenced by a blue hyperlink, but appears to not have a url assoicated with them).

The Stata dataset I have is located on my hard drive. The process I have tried to follow is to 1) click on the upload attachments paperclip icon, 2) select the upload attachments option, and 3) locate sales.dta on my hard drive. When I select OK, I get the following error

"This is not a valid image file. sales.dta"

My question is what is the process to upload a Stata dataset?

Thanks so much in advance.

Adam

[Joseph Coveney]

A couple of us have had the same problem on a recent thread.

Just what files can be uploaded, I believe, is at the discretion of the forums' administrators, and they have not allowed uploading Stata dataset files for some reason, at least not yet. (Or if, as you say, someone has been able to in the past, then maybe the administrators used to allow it and no longer do, for whatever reason.)

What's even stranger is that the forums' Software FAQ states that .zip files are among those allowed, yet I've had to rename a .zip file, disguising it as an image file, in order to attach it to a post. (This kludge is something that I don't like to do, by the way, because it strikes me as a bad practice, although I see that it has become a common one since a commercial e-mail client began some years back to strip off e-mail attachments having certain file name extensions.)

[Adam Guerrero]

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for your reply. After some testing, I can upload Stata datasets, but only some, and it varies by file. I am working with tech support to learn about why some files are accepted, but others are not. I'll posts again once fully resolved. Again, thanks for your reply.

Adam

[Richard Williams]

You may just want to include links to files. That is easily done with Google Drive, Dropbox, and probably other programs. I would definitely do that if the file is very big. I provided links to 4 GB of data last week -- I suspect somebody or something would have gotten crabby had I tried to upload instead.

[Konrad Zdeb]

A couple of us have had the same problem on a recent thread.

Same here, I ended up uploading tab delimited txt file in order to share some data with the Colleagues here. I understand that considering technical aspects of managing the discussion board it may be wise to have a limit for maximum attachment sizes but there is no point in blocking csv or dta file. Especially, if the one can upload the same data as txt, it's just more hassle.

You may just want to include links to files. That is easily done with Google Drive, Dropbox, and probably other programs. I would definitely do that if the file is very big. I provided links to 4 GB of data last week -- I suspect somebody or something would have gotten crabby had I tried to upload instead.

With respect to massive files Drobox and Google Drive are presumably most efficient solutions but in terms of small files it may be handy to have files available via the board. I often share files via Dropbox but find it inconvenient when I'm starting to be running out of space as I'm not sure whether I can safely remove this or that file because links may be available on some board or used by someone.

[Richard Williams]

There is certainly the risk that somebody searching through old threads will discover that links to files no longer work (of course, URLs may be broken too). Those 4 GB of data I posted links to are still there, but their days are numbered if I start to run out of space. I haven't tried uploading a dta file, but of all data types, you would think it would be permitted. There are a number of times when uploading a small example dta file would have made it much easier to address someone's problem. Simply listing examples of the data helps, but it is a pain to retype some example data into Stata. Even converting from another format is a pain. So yes, put "make it easy to always upload dta files" onto the wish list for the forum.

[Philip Jones]

I also ran into this difficulty today. I am going to try uploading my .dta file with a disguised file extension (i.e. .jpg) so I can avoid changing formats.

Can a Statalist admin please "open up" .dta files for us? Thanks,

Phil

[Konrad Zdeb]

Can a Statalist admin please "open up" .dta files for us?

I definitely agree, it seems like an unnecessary hassle to have dta files blocked. Especially, that people are uploading data any way disguised or in other, less handy, formats.

[Philip Jones]

Just to add one point: I do not prefer the dropbox/Google drive solution as I am notoriously poor at remembering why files are where they are. I am very likely to delete files with links to them in the future, and of course this will break the hard link that is meant to exist from a message to its attachments. I believe this should be a high priority item for this forum to have fixed, as examples are worth their weight in gold. Having a .do file and .dta file easily downloadable and run-able would be a boon for novices to Stata (and seasoned users too).

[Philip Jones]

Sorry to bump this up to the top, but I really think this issue could use an opinion from StataCorp, and it has been a month and a bit since the last post. Will .dta files be supported as attachments on this forum at some point?

[Konrad Zdeb]

Just to add one point: I do not prefer the dropbox/Google drive solution as I am notoriously poor at remembering why files are where they are. I am very likely to delete files with links to them in the future, and of course this will break the hard link that is meant to exist from a message to its attachments.

I couldn't agree more. As people, including me, have been posting data in *.txt format in order to bypass this restriction there is little merit in keeping it active.

[dilandilan]

that is right Konrad Zdeb ..... well done