August 8, 2008

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Stata

Stata is software for analyzing data. It provides statistical, graphical, and data-management capabilities and is fully programmable. Its best features include: speed, power, and simplicity for beginners. OPR has Stata 8.0 for UNIX (both ascii windows and X windows versions), installed on lotka, as well as Stata 8.0 for Windows on desktop PC's.

• Stata Special Edition now available
• Running Stata on OPR's UNIX server
• Configuring Stata on Your PC and Coale
• Installing Stata Journal and user-written Programs
• Converting SAS files to Stata
• Getting Help
• Useful Links

• Introduction
• Reading and Documenting Data
• Creating and Manipulating Variables
• Sorting, By-Groups and Indexing
• Manipulating Files
• Time Series Commands
• Refresher of Basic Stata Commands
• Data and do-files for use with above tutorials

Stata Special Edition

• On Unix type xstata-se from an xterm or stata-se for a text interface. (You can still type xstata or stata for regular Stata).

• On Windows, you access the network version by typing \\sheps\stata-se\wsestata.exe into the Start->Run box. (You can still access regular Stata at \\sheps\stata\wstata.exe.)

The following table shows the main differences between regular (intercooled) Stata and the new Special Edition:

The Stata dataset format has changed, but Stata/SE can read regular Stata files and regular Stata has been updated to read Stata/SE files, provided they are not too big. If you are using Stata/SE, you can save your files in regular Stata 7 format by using the command: save myfile, intercooled. If you need to save the file in Stata 6 format, use "old" instead of "intercooled". Note that Stata will not allow you to save the data in intercooled or Stata 6 format if the data do not comform to the limits of those versions.

For more information see http://www.stata.com/news/statase.html.

Running Stata on OPR UNIX Server

To access Stata on the Lotka server, issue the following command on the prompt:

    
  % stata    (for the ascii version)
  % xstata   (for the XWindows version)
      

To end your Stata session, enter the following command within Stata:

    
  . exit, clear
      

To execute Stata in the background (batch mode), type the following command. Substitute filename with the name of your own file.

    
  % stata -b do filename &
      

The above line tells Stata to execute the commands in filename.do in the background, and route the output to filename.log in the same directory.

Configuring Stata on Your PC and Coale

1. Move the C:\ado directory and all its contents from your C:\ drive to your Z:\ drive.
2. Change the target for your Stata 8 shortcut on your PC as well as on Coale by right-clicking the icon, selecting "Properties", then "Shortcut." Change the "Target" box to:

   	C:\Stata8\wsestata.exe run "z:\ado\personal\profile.do"

   Then click "Apply", then "OK". The "run" command is the same as the "do" command except no output is sent to the Results window.

3. Create a file called "profile.do" in your "Z:\ado\personal" directory. At minimum, this file needs to have these lines:

       sysdir set OLDPLACE z:\ado
       sysdir set PERSONAL z:\ado\personal
       sysdir set PLUS     z:\ado\stbplus
   

   You can put other commands that you want Stata to run every time you start it in this file as well. Make sure that the directories indicated above actually exist (for Stata 8 users who never used Stata 7, the last line might be "z:\ado\plus")
Now when you install a new ado on your PC, the same command will automatically be available to you on Coale and vice-versa. Also, any changes you want to make to your profile.do will automatically be updated for both systems. Another benefit is that when you use any computer from which you can access your Z:\ drive (such as those in Rm. 217), you can issue this command from the Command window in Stata:

	run z:\ado\personal\profile.do

And have use of all your previously installed commands.

Getting Help

Stata has an excellent on-line help facility. Typing

  . help 
      

at the Stata dot prompt gives help for the help command.

To get a table of contents of the entire on-line help system arranged by subject, type:

  . help contents
      

Typing

  . search topic
  . net search topic
      

Stata will provide you with all the sources of information that have to do with that particular topic. The "net" version of this command will also search Stata's web site.

To get help on a specific Stata command, type:

  . help command
      

Useful Links

• Stata Corporation web site
• Sample Session: Take a look at a sample Stata session.
• FAQs: Browse through the frequently asked questions
• Statalist: Become a member of the list or browse the Statalist archives. Statalist is an active group of users who exchange via e-mail about using Stata. Follow the links to join the list.
• Stata Technical Bulletin: Subscribe to the STB or to obtain STB programs. Stata Technical Bulletin is a printed journal that contains articles written by StataCorp, Stata users, and others. These articles include Stata commands(ado-files), programming tutorials, illustration of data analysis techniques, etc.
• Net Courses: Take a look at the courses offered on Stata.
• Updates: Update your copy of Stata over the internet.