Hardcoded and optional [if] statements in program using syntax

Question

I'm learning how to use the optional syntax when writing simple Stata programs and I'm wondering if it's possible to hardcode if statements while at the same time passing optional [if] statements through the syntax options.

I know that a simple function can be written like:

sysuse auto

program meanprice
    syntax [if]

    mean price `if'
end 

and then I can for example use some optional if statements like:

meanprice if price > 6000 & rep78 > 2

However, let's say I want to hardcode the price > 6000 statement and still be able to selectively choose optional if statements. The reason I want to do this is that the part I want to hardcode is very rigorous and I always want to pass these options through some nested programs that I'm writing without having to specify them each time.

I have tried using e.g.,

program meanprice_test
    syntax [if]

    mean price if price > 6000 `if'
end 

but this does clearly not work (to my understanding because syntax is parsing text/strings?)

Is there any simple way to achieve the desired outcome using syntax and [if]? I can think of some very tedious workarounds that I'd rather avoid.

Answer 1

What you are defining in Stata terms is a command, not a function.

"clearly does not work" should always be explained by giving the error message, or other explicit result that indicates a problem.

That aside, consider this:

program meanprice_test
    syntax [if/]

    if "`if'" != "" local if "& (`if')" 
    mean price if price > 6000 `if'
end 


. sysuse auto
(1978 Automobile Data)

. meanprice_test if foreign

Mean estimation                   Number of obs   =          9

--------------------------------------------------------------
             |       Mean   Std. Err.     [95% Conf. Interval]
-------------+------------------------------------------------
       price |   8783.667   827.6595       6875.08    10692.25
--------------------------------------------------------------

. meanprice_test

Mean estimation                   Number of obs   =         23

--------------------------------------------------------------
             |       Mean   Std. Err.     [95% Conf. Interval]
-------------+------------------------------------------------
       price |   9655.696    635.944      8336.829    10974.56
--------------------------------------------------------------

The problem with your code is not that syntax is parsing text [that's its job, always] but that the combination of two ifs requires more care. What you had would produce stuff like ... if ... if ... which is illegal.

So, if a user supplies an if qualifier (optional for the user, but syntactically not an option)

1. You need to get syntax to strip off the user-supplied if. How to do this is documented in help syntax.

2. Then you need to use & to combine the two if conditions. Parenthesising may help.

EDIT: If quoted strings are ever to be used in the user's if, then use compound double quotes in the program:

if `"`if'"' != "" local if `"& (`if')"'  

GENERAL COMMENTS: While what you want is programmable, I think it's unnecessary and questionable practice:

1. For an audit trail of analysis, a do-file with a keep if statement near the beginning and a corresponding log file should suffice as a reproducible record of work on a subset of data.

2. For an audit trail, conversely, the use of highly specialised programs with data-specific constraints built into the code is easy to misunderstand or overlook, especially for others using your work, or even yourself at a later date.

3. Following this strategy carries the burden of writing lots of very specific programs, a poor use of time and energy, and of little use to others.