{smcl} {hline} help for {cmd:stcmd}, {cmd:inputst} and {cmd:outputst}{right:(Roger Newson)} {hline} {title:Running the Stat/Transfer command from inside Stata} {p 8 21 2} {cmd:stcmd} [ {it:filetype1} ] {it:infilename}{cmd:.}{it:ext1} [ {it:filetype2} ] {it:outfilename}{cmd:.}{it:ext2} [ {it:switches} ] {p 8 21 2} {cmd:stcmd} {it:command_filename}{cmd:.stc} {p 8 21 2} {cmd:inputst} [ {it:filetype} ] {it:infilename}{cmd:.}{it:ext} [ {it:switches} ] {p 8 21 2} {cmd:outputst} [ {it:filetype} ] {it:outfilename}{cmd:.}{it:ext} [ {it:switches} ] {title:Description} {pstd} {cmd:stcmd} calls the Stat/Transfer command {cmd:st} to convert the data file {it:infilename.ext1} to a new data file {it:outfilename.ext2}, or to obey the commands in the Stat/Transfer command file {it:command_filename}{cmd:.stc}. {cmd:inputst} inputs into the memory a Stata-converted version of the data file {it:infilename.ext}, overwriting any existing dataset. {cmd:outputst} outputs a converted version of the Stata dataset in memory to the data file {it:outfilename.ext}. File types are determined by {it:filetype}, {it:filetype1} and/or {it:filetype2}, if present, and by Stat/Transfer from the extensions {it:ext}, {it:ext1} and/or {it:ext2} otherwise. File names containing spaces must be given in quotes. {title:Switches for use with {cmd:stcmd}, {cmd:inputst} and {cmd:outputst}} {pstd} These are prefixed by {cmd:/} under Windows and by {cmd:-} under Unix. A list of these switches can be found in the Stat/Transfer manual for the user's installation. The Windows switches for Version 9 of Stat/Transfer are as follows: {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/o-} specifies that Stat/Transfer will not optimize the output data set to be as small as possible (as Stat/Transfer does by default). {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/oc} specifies that Stat/Transfer will optimize the output data set to be as small as possible, and automatically drop constant or missing variables. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/od} specifies that Stat/Transfer will optimize the output data set to be as small as possible, but produce double precision variables where appropriate. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/ocd} specifies that Stat/Transfer will optimize the output data set to be as small as possible, and automatically drop constant or missing variables, but produce double precision variables where appropriate. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/q} specifies that Stat/Transfer will execute quietly, producing no messages, with the exception of error messages and warnings that a file is about to be overwritten. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/r}[{it:page}{cmd:!}]{it:coor} specifies a worksheet range, limited to page {it:page} and coordinates specified by {it:coor}, in an input worksheet. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/s} will turn on messages and leave the Stat/Transfer window open until the return key is pressed. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/t}{it:tablename} is used in order to specify a table within a data source containing multiple tables. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/v}{it:version_number} specifies that Stat/Transfer will write the output dataset in the version of the appropriate format specified by the {it:version_number}, which should be a positive integer. If this switch is not specified, then Stat/Transfer writes the output dataset in the latest version of the appropriate format. {p 4 8 2} {cmd:/y} specifies that {it:outfilename}{cmd:.}{it:ext} will be overwritten, if it already exists. (If {cmd:/y} is not specified, then Stat/Transfer consults the user before overwriting files.) {title:Remarks} {pstd} {cmd:inputst} and {cmd:outputst} call {cmd:stcmd}, which in turn calls the Stat/Transfer {cmd:st} command. For a list of file types and standard extensions used by Stat/Transfer, see the Stat/Transfer manual or on-line help. {pstd} Stat/Transfer can be installed on Microsoft Windows, MacOS and some Unix platforms. It is available from {browse "http://www.stata.com/":Stata Corporation} and developed by {browse "http://www.stattransfer.com/":Circle Systems}. {marker stcmd_technote}{...} {title:Technical note} {pstd} The path for the Stat/Transfer {cmd:st} command varies from system to system. {cmd:stcmd} assumes that this path is simply {cmd:st}, unless the {help macro:global macro} {hi:StatTransfer_path} is evaluated, in which case {cmd:stcmd} assumes that the path is equal to the value of that macro. Therefore, if the directory containing Stat/Transfer is on the user's default path, then the user need not set a value for the {help macro:global macro} {hi:StatTransfer_path}. Otherwise, the user should set a value for the {help macro:global macro} {hi:StatTransfer_path}. This is probably done most easily by inserting a lines into the user's {help profile:profile do-file} to initialize this {help macro:global macro} every time the user starts Stata. For instance, under Windows, if the user's {help profile:profile do-file} contains the line {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. global StatTransfer_path `"c:\Program Files\StatTransfer9\st.exe"'}{p_end} {pstd} and the {cmd:st} program of Stat/Transfer, in the user's system, has path {hi:"c:\Program Files\StatTransfer9\st.exe"}, then {cmd:stcmd} will find the {cmd:st} command of Stat/Transfer correctly on that path. {pstd} Note that, when the user upgrades to a new version of Stat/Transfer, the upgrade creates a new directory, containing the new version of {hi:st.exe}. Therefore, when Stat/Transfer is upgraded, either the user's default directory search path should be altered, or the line of code in the user's {help profile:profile do-file} setting the global macro {hi:StatTransfer_path} should be altered. {title:Examples} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. inputst spss.sav}{p_end} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. outputst mydata.Rdata /y}{p_end} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. inputst mydata.Rdata /o-}{p_end} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. stcmd R mydata.Rdata hisdata.csv /y}{p_end} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. insheet using hisdata.csv, comma clear}{p_end} {p 8 12 2}{cmd:. stcmd mystcom.stc}{p_end} {title:Author} {pstd} Roger Newson, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK.{break} Email: {browse "mailto:r.newson@imperial.ac.uk":r.newson@imperial.ac.uk} {title:Also see} {p 4 13 2} {bind: }Manual: {hi:[P] macro}, {hi:[GSW] A.7 Executing commands every time Stata is started}, {hi:[GSM] A.7 Executing commands every time Stata is started}, {hi:[GSU] A.7 Executing commands every time Stata is started} {p_end} {p 4 13 2} On-line: help for {help macro}, {help profile}, {help profilew}, {help profilem}, {help profileu} {p_end} {p 4 13 2} {bind: }Other: {hi:Stat/Transfer .PDF Manual} if installed {p_end}