{smcl}
{* 31Jan2008}{...}
{hline}
help for {hi:ddf2dct}
{hline}

{title:Convert DDF files describing e.g. US Census data to Stata dct and do files}

{p 8 14}{cmd:ddf2dct} 
{cmd:using }{it:filename1} 
{bind:[{cmd:,} {cmd:dct(}{it:filename2}{cmd:)}}
{cmd:do(}{it:filename3}{cmd:)}
{cmd:data(}{it:filename4}{cmd:)}
{cmd:drop(}{vars}{cmd:)}
{cmd:keep(}{vars}{cmd:)}
{cmd:replace} {cmd:noinfile}]

{title:Description}

{p}{cmd:ddf2dct} converts Data Definition File (DDF) format 
files to Stata dct and do files.  A DDF file contains 
entries of the form

{synoptset 20 tabbed}{...}
{synoptline}
           D SREFMON     1     25
           T SU: Reference month of this record
                Universe=All persons
           V          1 .First Reference month
           V          2 .Second Reference month
           V          3 .Third Reference month
           V          4 .Fourth Reference month
{synoptline}

{p}designed to allow mainframe users to infile data, and is often distributed
with data following standard US Census formats, e.g. the Decennial Census
(see also {browse "http://www.nber.org/data/pums.html":http://www.nber.org/data/pums.html}), the Survey of Income and Program Participation
(SIPP: see also
{browse "http://www.nber.org/data/sipp.html":http://www.nber.org/data/sipp.html}), and 
the Current Population Survey (CPS: see also
{browse "http://www.nber.org/cps/":http://www.nber.org/cps/}).{p_end}

{p}All variable names are converted to lower case. 
Variable names in DDF files are not guaranteed to be legal in Stata, so the following substitutions are made:{p_end}

  % becomes p
  - becomes _
  $ becomes d
  
{p}and any variables names that are repeated in the data dictionary have a number added to the end of their name high enough to make the name distinct from all previously defined names.  Thus, if a variable FILLER appears four times in the DDF file, the dct file will have variables filler, filler1, filler2, and filler3.{p_end}

{title:Options}

{p 0 4}{cmd:dct(}{it:filename2}{cmd:)} specifies a path and filename
where a {help infiling:dictionary} file should be saved.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:do(}{it:filename3}{cmd:)} specifies a path and filename
where a do file that {help infiling:infiles} data and assigns value {help label}s should be saved.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:data(}{it:filename4}{cmd:)} specifies a path and filename
where raw data (to be {help infiling:infiled}) is saved.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:drop(}{vars}{cmd:)} excludes the variables specified from the dct file.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:keep(}{vars}{cmd:)} includes only the variables specified in the dct file.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:replace} specifies that the files named may be overwritten if they exist already.{p_end}

{p 0 4}{cmd:noinfile} requests no {cmd:infile} command in the created do file.{p_end}

{title:Examples}

{synoptset 20 tabbed}{...}
{synoptline}
{p 8 12}{stata "clear" : clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "tempfile do dct s96" : tempfile do dct s96}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/1996/sipp96l.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')" : ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/1996/sipp96l.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "run `do'" : run `do'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "describe t??amt" : describe t??amt}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "notes t50" : notes t50}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "save `s96'" : save `s96'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "tempfile do dct s01" : tempfile do dct s01}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/2001/sipp01w1.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')" : ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/2001/sipp01w1.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "clear" : clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "run `do'" : run `do'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "notes t50" : notes t50}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "tempfile do dct s93" : tempfile do dct s93}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/1993/sipp93w1.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')" : ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/sipp/1993/sipp93w1.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do')}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "clear" : clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "run `do'" : run `do'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "notes higrade" : notes higrade}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ssc install vlc, replace" : ssc install vlc, replace}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "save `s93'" : save `s93'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "vlc higrade, to(`s96')" : vlc higrade, to(`s96')}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "use `s96', clear" : use `s96', clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "vlc eeducate, to(`s93')" : vlc eeducate, to(`s93')}{p_end}
{synoptline}
{p 8 12}{stata "clear" : clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "tempfile do dct c89" : tempfile do dct c89}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/cps/cpsmar89_91.doc, dct(`dct') do(`do') drop(FILLER)": ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/cps/cpsmar89_91.doc, dct(`dct') do(`do') drop(FILLER)}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "run `do'" : run `do'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "save `c89'" : save `c89'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "clear" : clear}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "tempfile do dct c92" : tempfile do dct c92}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/cps/cpsmar92.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do') drop(FILLER)": ddf2dct using http://www.nber.org/cps/cpsmar92.ddf, dct(`dct') do(`do') drop(FILLER)}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "run `do'" : run `do'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "save `c92'" : save `c92'}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata "ssc install vlc, replace" : ssc install vlc, replace}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata `"vlc a_hga, to(`c89')"' : vlc a_hga, to(`c89')}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata `"g lab92=trim(substr(label1,1,25))"' : g lab92=trim(substr(label1,1,25)}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata `"ren label2 lab91"' : ren label2 lab91}{p_end}
{p 8 12}{stata `"li val lab91 lab92, noo clean"' : li val lab91 lab92, noo clean}{p_end}
{synoptline}

{title:Author}

    Austin Nichols
    Urban Institute
    Washington, DC
    austinnichols@gmail.com

{title:Also see}

{p 0 19}On-line:  help for {help infiling}, {help label}, {help labelbook}, {stata "findit vlc":vlc}