These slides are based on the Stata-related procedures section of the training manual.

config.do

Purpose

• Generate log files.
• Install programs.

Set up

• Rename template-config.do and place it in the same directory as the .do file(s) you will run.
• Add lines to the file(s) so that they execute config.do when run. To clarify:
  • If there is no master.do file, add include config.do at the beginning and log close _all at the end of the .do file(s) you will run.
  • If there is a master.do file, add the lines to it, only.

Walkthrough

Package Installation

• Indicates the structure of the code.
• Installs Stata packages needed for replication.
• You will need to add package names to line 50. (Use line 52 as an example).

Present/Working Directory Set Up

• Sets file path to root directory (based on the structure indicated previously).
• Creates a sub-directory to save logs in, if necessary.
• Keep this area even if authors’ code also produces log files.

Diagnostics

• Provides information about the system the code is run on, for the replication package.

Other

• Includes lines for specific cases, e.g.
  • Net installation of packages
  • mata
  • S drive path set up

master.do

If the authors do not provide a master .do, but the order in which each program is run is clear (either from file names or from the README), then create a master.do as follows:

• Add include config.do for the first line and log close _all for the last line.
• For each program that needs to be run, write do and the path. Make sure these lines are in the right sequence.

include "config.do"
 
* Assuming scenario "A"

do "${rootdir}/code/0_first_program.do" 
do "${rootdir}/code/1_second_program.do"
do "${rootdir}/code/2_third_program.do"
do "${rootdir}/code/appendix_code/appendix.do"

log close _all

General Stata Tips

Modifying File Paths

• Typically will require one modification to either the master .do file or to a program called by the master .do file.

Before:

*/ This is Master do file /*

global maindir "C:\Users\Author\Dropbox\Project1" // this is the path to the repository
global data "$maindir/data" // path to data folder
global figures "$maindir/figures" // path to figures folder

After:

include "config.do"

*/ This is Master do file /*

global maindir "$rootdir" // this is the path to the repository
global data "$maindir/data" // path to data folder
global figures "$maindir/figures" // path to figures folder

• Certain errors may indicate that a subdirectory is missing. If the programs/README/other documentation verify this, then you should create the missing directories.

E.g.

log using "${path}\Output\maindata.log", replace
(file U:\AEAworkspace\aearep-3835\182763\Output\maindata.log not found)
file U:\AEAworkspace\aearep-3835\182763\Output\maindata.log could not be opened
r(603)

• Also note that the config .do file has a parameter called scenario that is set to A by default.
  • A indicates the case where the master .do file is in a subfolder of the root directory.
  • B indicates the case where the master .do file is in the root directory. Change the default if needed.

Scenario A

 directory/
              code/
                 main.do
                 01_dosomething.do
              data/
                 data.dta
                 otherdata.dta

Scenario B

 directory/
        main.do
        scripts/
             01_dosomething.do
        data/
             data.dta
             otherdata.dta

Running the Code

• Right click on the master .do file and select the option Execute (do). This will set the working directory location to the location where the master .do file is, automatically.

• To run Stata on Git Bash from CISER, use the following command (note that relative paths can also be used):

"C:/Program Files/Stata17/StataMP-64.exe" -b do "U:/test/master.do"

• To run Stata on Powershell on Windows (e.g. personal laptop), use the following command:

'C:\Program Files\Stata16\StataMP-64.exe' /b do .\master.do

• To run Stata on Linux/MacOS, use the following command:

stata-mp -b do master.do

• Note that relative file paths to the .do file can also be used.

Missing Package(s)

• Typically indicated in error messages, e.g. command not found or type ssc install, and can be resolved through modifications to config.do.
• Note that the potentially missing packages flagged by scan_packages.do may be generating some of these errors.
  • As a reminder, don’t add those flagged packages to config.do before running code for the first time. (An exception would be if the README indicates long runtimes.)