Title

shp2dta -- Converts shape boundary files to Stata datasets

Syntax

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

Main
database(filename) Specifies filename of new dBase
dataset

coordinates(filename) Specifies filename of new coordinates
dataset

replace Overwrites existing database and coordinates
filenames

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.

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