program def charto6
*! NJC 1.0.0 28 August 2001
	version 7.0

	unab varlist : *
	local evarlist "_dta `varlist'"

	foreach evar of local evarlist {
		local charlist : char `evar'[]
		foreach char of local charlist {
			if length("`char'") > 8 { /* blank it out */
				char `evar'[`char']
				di as txt "dropping `evar'[`char']"
			}
		}
	}
end