help sortobs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title

    sortobs -- Sort observations into a specified order.

Syntax

    Sort observations according to a variable's specific values

        sortobs varname , values(stringlist) [first last before(string)
              after(string)]

    Sort observations by observation numbers

        sortobs , values(numlist) [first last before(#) after(#)]

    where

        stringlist is a list of (potentially quoted) strings separated by
              spaces, and

        numlist is a list of numbers with blanks or commas in between (see
              [U] numlist for details).


Description

    sortobs relocates observations by specifying either (1) a variable's
    specific values or (2) observation numbers.  Observations that are not
    specified in the command retain their original, respective sort orders.


Options

    values() specifies the observations to be relocated. They are relocated
        in the order they are specified. The user can specify the
        observations by observation number (see example 1) or by observation
        contents (see example 2).


    first shifts the specified observations to the beginning of the dataset.
        This is the default.


    last shifts the specified observations to the end of the dataset.


    before() shifts the specified observations before a particular row. The
        row can be specified by observation number or observation contents.


    after() shifts the specified observations after a particular row. The row
        can be specified by observation number or observation contents (see
        example 3).


Examples

    1. Reverse the order of the first three observations:

       . sysuse auto.dta, clear

       . list in 1/5

       . sortobs, values(3 2 1)

       . list in 1/5


    2. Shift two observations to the end of the dataset:

       . sysuse auto.dta, clear

       . keep in 1/5

       . list in 1/5

       . sortobs make, values("AMC Pacer" "AMC Spirit") last

       . list in 1/5


    3. Move an observation to the middle of the dataset

       . sysuse auto.dta, clear

       . keep in 1/5

       . list in 1/5

       . sortobs make, values("Buick Electra") after("AMC Pacer")

       . list in 1/5


Author

    Julian Reif, University of Chicago

    jreif@uchicago.edu


Also see

    sort, gsort