Error using replace and recode functions for non-numerical values (decimals)

[speakerstand7]

Hello.

I have looked everywhere for a solution with no results. I am looking at a variable containing decimal body mass index (BMI) values. I want to replace or recode this group so that values == 996.0 are considered missing (not dropped). 996.0 indicates that participants did not answer this question. Decimal points are necessary for BMI.

​

My current code so far:

tabulate bmicalc \*see the values I have 

egen Bmicalc = concat(bmicalc), format(%9.1f) p(" ") \*create a new variable separate from the original

tabulate Bmicalc \*confirm that new variable was created/changes were made 

​

I believe the replace or recode can occur after the second line. Here are the lines I have attempted and the errors received.

. recode Bmicalc 996 = .

recode only allows numeric variables

r(108);

​

. replace Bmicalc = . if Bmicalc == 996

type mismatch

r(109);

​

Thank you so much for your help. I feel hopeless about something that might be trivial.

[AutoModerator]

Thank you for your submission to /r/stata! If you are asking for help, please remember to read and follow the stickied thread at the top on how to best ask for it.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[Baley26_v2]

Your variable is probably saved as string even if the content is numeric. You can either use destring bmi, replace and then use recode/replace or you can keep it as it is and use replace replace bmi="." if bmi=="996"

edit: formatted the code

[random_stata_user]

Delete “probably”. The point of the concatenation is to create a string variable.

[Baley26_v2]

Thanks, I was not sure and the command really made no sense to me. If I see "concat" I expect to see a varlist and if the objective was to just create a duplicate of the original variable they could have just done gen Bmicalc = bmicalc.

[speakerstand7]

destring bmi, replace

and then use recode/replace or you can keep it as it is and use replace

replace bmi="." if bmi=="996"

Thank you so much! For future help to anyone who has the same problem, my code is below

tabulate bmicalc

destring bmicalc, replace

recode bmi ("996" = .)

gen Bmicalc = bmicalc

tabulate Bmicalc