I have many variables whose name starts with I: followed by a number n (like I:2390). These are indicator variables, with value 1 for observation n. I imported this database from other software (Oxmetrics), so they were not created in Stata. According to the Stata Manual, only letters, numbers and _ are allowed for variable names. Thus, Stata doesn't allow character : within names. Hence, I cannot run regression on them (output is I ambiguous abbreviation r(111);).
I'm trying to rename them all, but so far nothing works, perhaps because the name is invalid. For example, I tried:
rename I:2390 OUT2390
rename I# OUT#
replace I:2390 = subinstr(I:2390, "I:", "OUT", .)
The output is the same as before: I ambiguous abbreviation r(111);
Here is the output from describe, related to the specific variables in question:
I:7 double
I:32 double
I:41 double
I:77 double
I:173 double
I:221 double
I:264 double
I:297 double
I:977 double
I:980 double
I:1026 double
I:1232 double
I:1282 double
I:1288 double
I:1347 double
I:1429 double
I:1455 double
I:1508 double
I:1536 double
I:1709 double
I:1774 double
I:1805 double
I:1836 double
I:1851 double
I:1873 double
I:1918 double
I:1967 double
I:1980 double
I:2016 double
I:2020 double
I:2108 double
I:2109+I:2108 double
I:2128 double
I:2164 double
I:2173 double
I:2256 double
I:2286 double
I:2332 double
I:2345 double
I:3109+I:3108 double
I:3151 double
I:3211 double
I:3250 double
I:3582 double
I:3596 double
I:3604 double
I:3636 double
I:3656 double
I:3716 double
I:3718 double
I:3760 double
I:4139 double
I:4164 double
I:4172 double
I:4230 double
I:4257 double
I:4263 double
I:4282 double
I:4288 double
I:4316 double
I:4317-I:4316 double
I:4346 double
I:4358 double
I:4445 double
I:4644 double
I:4645+I:4644 double
I:4657 double
I:4679 double
I:4705 double
I:4720 double
I:4866 double
I:4899 double
I:4923 double
I:5329 double
I:5423 double
I:5717 double
I:5731 double
I:5776 double
I:5960 double
I:6103 double
I:6117 double
I:6130 double
I:6178 double
I:6182 double
I:6341 double
I:6424 double
I:6435 double
I:6441 double
I:6470 double
I:6555 double
I:6567 double
I:6668 double
I:6695 double
I:6878 double
I:7341 double
I:7349 double
I:7370 double
I:7374 double
I:7419 double
I:7449 double
I:7555 double
I:7574 double
I:7719 double
I:7723 double
I:7729 double
I:7746 double
Is there a way to solve this in Stata, or do I need to use other software?
I cannot make sample data with variable name containing a colon. Try:
export to csv
outsheet using EXPORTED_FILE.csv
modify variable name in text editor