dialogs:  shp2dta
Title

   shp2dta --  Converts shape boundary files to Stata datasets

Syntax

    shp2dta using shpfilename, database(filename) coordinates(filename)
                [options]

    options                    Description
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Main
      database(filename)       Specifies filename of new dBase dataset
      coordinates(filename)    Specifies filename of new coordinates dataset
      replace                  Overwrites existing database and coordinates
                                 filenames
      genid(newvarname)        Creates unique id variable for database.dta
      gencentroids(stub)       Creates centroid variables
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If shpfilename is specified without an extension, .shp is assumed.
    If filename is specified without an extension, .dta is assumed.
    Windows and Macintosh users:  if shpfilename or filename contains
      embedded spaces, remember to enclose them in double quotes.


Description

    shp2dta reads a shape (.shp) and dBase (.dbf) file from disk and converts
    them into Stata datasets.  The shape and dBase files must have the same
    name and be saved in the same directory.  The user-written command tmap
    can use the two datasets that shp2dta creates.  shp2dta can convert only
    point, line, and polygon shapefiles (type 1, 3, and 5).


Options

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

    database(filename) specifies the name of the new Stata dataset to contain
        the .dbf file data.  This option is required.

    coordinates(filename) specifies the name of the new Stata dataset to
        contain the .shp file data.  This option is required.

    replace overwrites any existing Stata dataset with the names specified in
        the database(filename) and coordinates(filename) options.

    genid(newvarname) specifies the name of the new numeric variable that, in
        file database.dta, will uniquely identify the different geographical
        areas of interest.  The values taken on by newvarname will correspond
        to the values taken on by variable _ID in file coordinates.dta.

    gencentroids(stub) requests that the coordinates of the centroids of the
        geographical areas of interest be computed, stored in variables
        x_stub and y_stub, and added to file database.dta.  You must also
        specify the genid(newvarname) option.


Examples

    To demonstrate the use of shp2dta let's suppose we have two files,
    asia.dbf and asia.shp, in our current working directory.  Two convert
    these files to two Stata datasets we type:

        . shp2dta using asia, data("asia_data")  coor("asia_coordinates")

    In the current working directory we now have two files, asia_data.dta and
    asia_coordinates.dta, that have the converted data.

Author

    Kevin Crow
    StataCorp L.P.
    kcrow@stata.com