help logout

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title

    logout -- Converts log or ASCII files into various output formats


Syntax

    logout, [options : command]


Description

    logout provides a fast and easy way to convert log or ASCII files
    into various output formats compatible with Word, Excel, LaTex, or
    Stata datafile. Can be used as a prefix or by itself after a log file
    has been created.

    More specifically, logout will import plain-text files into
    tab-delimited format, which is then converted into the output format
    of choice. The default method is tab/space-delimited, along with a
    list of usual suspects. Alternatively, infix method can be used when
    the column position is meaningful.

    Can also be used to chew through dirty files such as html, etc. Will
    also chew through any ASCII log files, including those produced SAS,
    SPSS, etc. In Stata, you can use caplog to create log files on the
    fly.

    table and tabstat are automatically handled by fix method.



Command

    Any command accepted, i.e. estimation commands, tabulation, summary,
            descrition, etc.


Options

        +------+
    ----+ Main +-------------------------------------------------------------

    clear Replace the current data in memory, then manipulate the file as
            a Stata data.

    save( ) The name of output file. logout.txt is assigned if clear or
            temporary file is not used.

    use( ) The name of input file to be converted.

    raw Raw file is diplayed in the first column (up to 244 character
            limit).


    fix Use automatic fixed method (i.e. infix) to read the file.

    fix(#) Adjust the sensitivity of fix method. Default is 5. Try 1 for
            narrower parsings.

    fixcut(# # ...) Use manual fixed method (i.e. infix) to read the
            file. Something like fixcut(3 5 10 15). Drop a number if you
            want to merge columns there. A suggestion is displayed
            whenever fixed method is run


    auto( ) The number of automatically formatted decimals to be
            reported. Default is 3.

    noauto Turns off the automatic formatting of decimals.

    dec( ) Fixed number of decimals. Turns off automatic formating.

    word Convert into Word compatible file.

    excel Convert into Excel compatible file.

    tex Convert into Latex or tex compatible file.

    dta Convert into .dta file for Stata.


    nowipe Do not apply minimal cleaning, which are:

        .drop if t1=="-----" | t1=="opened" | t1=="log" | t1=="." |
            t1=="closed"



Examples

    * summary
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, save(myfile) excel replace: sum


    * summary, MANUALLY clean it
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, clear: sum
    drop t2 t5 t6
    logout, save(myfile) excel replace


    * summary, detail
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, save(mystuff) excel word replace: sum, detail


    * one-way tabulation with value labels
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, clear excel dta tex save(myfile) replace: tab foreign rep78


    * one-way tabulation
    sysuse auto, clear
    caplog using mystuff.txt, replace: tabulate price [aweight=turn],
          summarize(headroom)
    logout, use(mystuff.txt) save(mytable) clear excel tex dta replace


    * two-way tabulation
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, clear: tab mpg foreign
    logout, save(mytable) clear excel tex dta replace


    * table, combined it with -fix- method
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, save(mystuff) excel fix replace: table trunk rep78, c(n mpg
          mean mpg sd mpg median mpg) stubwidth(25)


    * table, MANUALLY clean it after using -fix- or -fix(1)-
    sysuse auto, clear
    caplog using mystuff.txt, replace: table trunk rep78 , c(n mpg mean
          mpg sd mpg median mpg)
    logout, use(mystuff.txt) fix(1) replace clear
    drop in 1/2
    logout, save(mystuff.txt) excel replace clear


    * regress
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, save(myfile) excel dec(3) replace: reg price mpg rep78
          headroom


    * tabstat
    sysuse auto, clear
    logout, save(mytable) excel replace: tabstat price mpg rep78, stats(
          max p1 mean)


    * The following three are more or less equivalent:
    webuse dose, clear
    caplog using mylog.txt, replace: tab dose function, col
    chewfile using mylog.txt, begin(10) end(.) save(chewed.txt) replace
    logout, use(chewed.txt) clear fix
    logout, save(C:\mytable) tex excel replace

    logout, save(C:\mytable) tex excel replace range(10/.) fix: tab dose
          function, col

    logout, save(C:\mytable) tex excel replace range(10/.) fixcut(11 16
          27 38 45 50 67): tab dose function, col

    ** Merging two columns by skipping a fixcut number:
    logout, save(C:\mytable) tex excel replace range(10/.) fixcut(11 27
          38 45 50 67): tab dose function, col


Hints

    The default is space/tab-delimited.
    For semi-ordered file, try using fix and values less than 5 for fix(
          ).


Remarks

    "Detailed" suggestions should be sent to the email address below.
    fix erases rows with many dashes as a horizontal line
    May not handle an exceptionally large log file.
    Small Stata may have a problem with the column limits.
    ASCII character "_" is used to handle space delimited value labels.
    version 7: do not include colon characters (:) in the file path. Use 
          cd instead.
    version 7: range( ) option not available.


Acknowledgements

    The codes for word and tex are traced back to John Gallup's outreg
          through outreg2.
    excel is implemented as a facsimile of xmlsave.
    Value labels are handled as proposed by Karl Keesman at
          sales@survey-design.com.au


Author

    Roy Wada
    roywada@hotmail.com