insert variable value label for graph title

Question

I can't quite grasp how to insert a variable's value labels for titles to a graph.

For example, in sysuse auto, the variable foreign takes the value of 0 or 1 where 0 is labeled "Domestic" and 1 is labeled "Foreign".

In the following snippet, I want to plot the average price for each category of the variable foreign using a loop:

sysuse auto, clear
forvalues i=0/1{
    local t = foreign[`i'] 
    graph bar (mean) price if foreign == `i', ///
        over(rep78, sort(price) descending) asyvars ///
        title("`t'") name(p_`i', replace) nodraw 
    local graphs `graphs' p_`i'
}
gr combine `graphs'

but it does not even display the category value correctly in the title.

What am I doing wrong?

Unknown Unknown · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-09T01:08:45

Your code

local t = foreign[`i']

sets the local macro t to the value of the variable foreign first in observation 0 and then in obseration 1: these will be missing and 0, respectively.

What you want is the value label corresponding to the values 0 and 1, which you can obtain with

local t : label (foreign) `i'

Swap this into your code and your graphs will be labelled Domestic and Foreign, respectively.

The syntax of the replacement command may be unfamiliar; macro "extended functions" are described in help extended_fcn.

insert variable value label for graph title

2 Answers