Title
vlgen -- Generate or replace variable labels automatically while generating or replacing the variable.
Syntax vlgen varname {=exp} [if] [in] [, options]
vlgen (variable and label generate) acts much like labgen, but uses labels one from one level deeper -- see examples below.
options Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------- replace replace an existing variable and label nopromote same as nopromote option with replace, see replace noconditionals keeps "if" and "in" statements out of the label -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Examples
Comparing labgen and vlgen ------------------------------
Suppose your data set contains the following variables.
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc
After
. labgen x4 = x1+x3
you would have
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc x4 x1+x3
If instead you used
. vlgen x4 = x1+x3
you would have
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc x4 blah + etc
If a variable has no label, the variable name is used, as in labgen.
. vlgen x5 = x1 + x2
would give you
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc x4 blah + etc x5 blah + x2
Using the replace option ------------------------------
Starting with the data set
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc x4 blah + etc
. vlgen x4 = abs(x1) + x2, replace
would give you
Name Label -------------- x1 blah x2 x3 etc x4 abs( blah ) + etc
replacing both variable values and label.
Author
James Fiedler, Universities Space Research Association