help xls2dta
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title

     xls2dta -- Save Excel files as Stata datasets


Syntax

        xls2dta [extvarlist] [using filename] [, options]


     where filename specifies the Excel file/s to be converted to Stata
     datasets. If filename is not specified, it defaults to the current working
     directory. See Remarks.


Description

    xls2dta converts Excel files to Stata datasets using import excel. Names
    for Stata datasets are derived from the names of the Excel files (see
    Remarks). The program is a convenient tool to import and convert more
    than one Excel file and/or worksheet at a time.


Options

    save(dirc) specifies the directory to store Stata datasets.  Default dirc
        is the current working directory (/Volumes/fmwww0/RePEc/bocode/x).
        Double quotes may be omitted.

    allsheets[(numlist | ["]pattern["] ...)] saves all worksheets in the
        Excel files as Stata datasets. If foo.xls contains three sheets,
        Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3, Stata datasets foo_Sheet1.dta,
        foo_Sheet2.dta and foo_Sheet3.dta will be saved. If specified, only
        worksheets numlist, or worksheets matching patterns (see strmatch)
        are converted.

    replace allows Stata datasets to be replaced if they already exist.

    import excel options are options allowed with import excel. Option
        sheet("sheetname") may not be combined with allsheets. Option
        describe may not be combined with any other option. Option clear is
        ignored.

    respectcase specifies that xls2dta respect case in filename (Windows
        only). Uppercase characters in filename imply respectcase. See
        extended macro function dir.

    nostop prevents xls2dta from stopping if one of the internal calls to
        import excel returns an error. This option should rarely be
        specified.

    mkdir[(public)] creates new directory dirc, as specified in save (see 
        mkdir).


Remarks

    In filename one specific file, or more than one file in a directory may
    be specified.

    Specifying

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles/foo.xls

    converts (the first sheet of) foo.xls to foo.dta and saves it in the
    current working directory.

    If c:/myxlsfiles contains more than one .xls file, we can convert all of
    them to Stata datasets typing

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles/*.xls

    To convert all .xls and .xlsx files in c:/myxlsfiles, we would type

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles

    If foo.xls contains more than one worksheet, and we want to convert all
    worksheets to Stata datasets, we type

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles/foo.xls ,allsheets

    To only convert worksheets starting with Sheet, we specify

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles/foo.xls ,allsheets(Sheet*)


Example

        . xls2dta using c:/myxlsfiles ,save(c:/mydtafiles)


Saved results

    xls2dta saves the following in r():

    Macros
      r(n_dta)       number of saved .dta files
      r(dta_#)       filename of .dta file #


Author

    Daniel Klein, University of Kassel, klein.daniel.81@gmail.com


Also see

    Online: import excel, extended functions, foreach, mkdir

    if installed: xls2stata