= Stata Scalars =

'''Scalars''' are a fundamental data type in Stata, like [[Stata/Matrices|matrices]].

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== Usage ==

Scalars are singular values.

To declare a scalar, try:

{{{
scalar define i = 1
scalar j = 2
scalar k = "Hello, world!"
}}}

Note the `define` subcommand can be omitted.

String scalars can hold arbitrarily long strings, and can also hold binary data.

To list all defined scalars, try `scalar list _all` or `scalar dir _all`.

To clear all scalars, try `scalar drop _all`.



=== Anonymous Scalars ===

To obtain a random, temporary name for a scalar that will never collide with an existing variable or scalar defined, try:

{{{
tempname myN
scalar `myN' = r(N)
}}}



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