CODEWITHSUNDEEP
stata
user52932
user52932

Reputation: 155

Stata Postfile Error: Invalid Name

I am running into a strange problem while trying to run my code. The following is a sample of my code (Note: I am already in the main directory):

cd "C:/`mydir'" //where `mydir' is the local for the folder containing the fig folder.

use cleaned.dta, clear

local outcome drr_trtd 

tempname post_handle

local postfile_varlist str12(tau_text) double(pt_est se) 

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' using "fig/dta/es_M12_P11_`outcome'.dta", replace

postclose `post_handle'

use "fig/dta/es_M12_P11_`outcome'.dta", clear

The issue is that whenever I try and run this code, I get an error:

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' using "fig/dta/es_M12_P11_`outcome'.dta", replace
fig/dta/es_M12_P11_drr_trtd.dta invalid name

I assumed that this may be because of quotation marks, so I removed the quotation marks and then I get the following error:

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' using fig/dta/es_M12_P11_`outcome'.dta, replace
/ invalid name

I then tried to make the file without a file-path that is I edited the postfile command as follows:

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' using "hello.dta", replace

Now, with the quotations I get the error:

"hello.dta invalid name

Without the quotation I get the same error but with hello.dat. Am I just doing something obviously wrong here? I do not understand why I am getting this error.

New Code:

local mydir /Users/F H/Desktop/Ray/analysis
cd "C:/`mydir'/" 

tempname post_handle
local postfile_varlist str12(tau_text) double(pt_est se) 
pwd

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' ///
    using "\fig\dta\event_study_M24_P59_sa.dta" ///
    , replace

I get the error:

(note: file \fig\dta\event_study_M24_P59_sa.dta not found)
file \fig\dta\event_study_M24_P59_sa.dta could not be opened

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1465

Answers (2)

Nick Cox
Nick Cox

Reputation: 37208

The following test works for me so long as I have write permission in the current directory, and not otherwise. 

sysuse auto, clear
local outcome drr_trtd 
tempname post_handle
local postfile_varlist str12(tau_text) double(my_price myrep)
postutil clear
postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' using `outcome'.dta, replace
post `post_handle' (make[1]) (price[1]) (rep78[1])
postclose `post_handle'
use `outcome'.dta, clear
list

Upvotes: 1

Roberto Ferrer
Roberto Ferrer

Reputation: 11102

I can't seem to reproduce your error. A working example:

sysuse auto, clear

local outcome drr_trtd 

tempname post_handle

local postfile_varlist str12(tau_text) double(my_price myrep)

postutil clear

postfile `post_handle' `postfile_varlist' ///
    using "test/test2/resu_lts_`outcome'.dta", replace

post `post_handle' (make[1]) (price[1]) (rep78[1])

postclose `post_handle'

use "test/test2/resu_lts_`outcome'.dta", clear

list

(I've created the appropriate testing directories.)

Upvotes: 2

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