CODEWITHSUNDEEP
stata
Marcelo Avila
Marcelo Avila

Reputation: 2374

how to clear stored results from r() only in stata 16.1

I am not sure it is a bug, but I am unable to clear the results from the results stored r() with return clear. ereturn clear works at clearing the stored results in e(). results clear also works but it clears all results.

Is there any way to clear only the stored results in r()?

The reason for that is that I am running the same program for different variables depending on some conditions. Clearing the results would make sure that the returned results are always "fresh" and not a results from the program that ran previously...

for reproduction

clear
sysuse auto

qui reg mpg rep78, r

* works
ereturn list
ereturn clear
ereturn list

* does not work
return list
return clear
return list // still there!

* workaround
qui reg mpg rep78, r
clear results 
return list
ereturn list

edits

Upvotes: 1

Views: 300

Answers (1)

Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris

Reputation: 1348

It appears that the only way to clear the r() results is to declare an rclass program. This is both slightly unsatisfactory, and, I believe, the solution to your problem as you are concerned that the r() results your program produces will not be fresh.

Based on this Statalist discussion the following example demonstrates this behavior, and — if you wanted to be really generous — is actually a program that clears the r() results.

program rclassclear , rclass
    return local rclassclear
end

sysuse auto , clear
quietly summarize mpg

rclassclear

return list

Notice that the documentation points out a difference between r() and return() under “Storing results in r()”:

  • r() are the returned results and
  • return() are the results being assembled to that will be returned.

return clear clears return() not r().

Upvotes: 2

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