Stata File I/O

There are distinct commands for reading or writing to non-Stata file formats.

Contents

Excel

To import from an Excel spreadsheet, try:

import excel using "path/to/file", sheet("Sheet1") firstrow

To import all columns as string variables, as opposed to guessing the type of columns, use the allstring option.

To export into an Excel spreadsheet, try:

export excel using "path/to/file", sheet("Sheet1") firstrow(variables) replace

To import from a CSV file, try:

import delimited using "path/to/file", varnames(1)

Or for a delimited text file, such as by tabs, try:

import delimited using "path/to/file", delimiters("\t") varnames(1)

Often, the stringcols(_all) option is necessary.

If there are no column labels, use the varnames(nonames) option.

To export into a (CSV) file, try:

export delimited using "path/to/file", replace

To suppress column labels, use the novarnames option.

Stata is not infinitely backwards-compatible. To go beyond the supported range, use -saveold-.

saveold "path/to/file", version(11)