{smcl}
{cmd:help encodelabel}
{hline}

{title:Title}

{p 4 8 2}
{cmd:encodelabel} {hline 2} Encode string variable into categorical variable


{title:Syntax}

{p 8 40 2}
{cmd:encodelabel} 
{varname} 
{ifin}
{cmd:,}
{c -(}{opt g:enerate}{cmd:(}{newvar}{cmd:)}{c |}{opt replace}{c )-}
{opt l:abel(name)}
[{opt min(#)} {opt nosort}]


{title:Description}

{pstd}
{cmd:encodelabel} is an alternative to {helpb encode} with the {opt label()} 
option. {cmd:encodelabel} adds to the value label starting with the value 1 
and skipping the values that are already present.

{pstd}
Do not use {cmd:encodelabel} if {it:varname} contains numbers that merely 
happen to be stored as strings; instead, use {cmd:generate} {it:newvar} {cmd:=} 
{opt real(varname)} or {cmd:destring}; see {helpb real()} or 
{helpb destring:[D] destring}.


{title:Options}

{phang}
{opt generate}{cmd:(}{it:newvar}{cmd:)} specifies the name of the variable 
to be created. Either {opt generate()} or {opt replace} is required. 

{phang}
{opt replace} specifies that the encoded (numeric categorical) variable 
replaces {it:varname}; any {help notes} and {help char:characteristics} 
are stripped. Either {opt replace} or {opt generate()} is required.

{phang}
{opt label(name)} is required and specifies the name of the value label 
to be used and added to; the named value label must already exist.  

{phang}
{opt min(#)} specifies the first value to be added to the value label. The 
default value is {it:#} = 1. 

{phang}
{opt nosort} prevents alphanumeric sorting of (the levels of) {it:varname} 
when adding to the value label; new labels are added according to the current 
sort order.

		
{title:Examples}

{pstd}
None; see the examples in {helpb encode}.


{title:Acknowledgments}

{pstd}
{cmd:encodelabel} first appeared on 
{browse "https://www.statalist.org/forums/forum/general-stata-discussion/general/1576828-encode-or-sencode-with-specific-reserved-value-labels":Statalist}
as an answer to a question from Bruce McDougall.

	
{title:Author}

{pstd}
Daniel Klein{break}
University of Kassel{break}
klein.daniel.81@gmail.com


{title:Also see}

{psee}
Online: {helpb encode}{p_end}

{psee}
if installed: {helpb sencode}, {helpb multencode}{p_end}