{smcl}
{* 21May2009}{...}
{cmd:help stata2pvd}{right:also see:  {help pathview}}
{hline}

{title:Converting Stata data to a file for PathView-Interactive}

{p2colset 5 18 20 2}{...}
{p2col :{hi:stata2pvd} {hline 2}}Sort, select & save data for PathView Interactive{p_end}
{p2colreset}{...}

{title:Syntax}

{p 8 14 2}
{cmd:stata2pvd}
	[{varlist}]
	{ifin}
	{helpb using}
    {it:filename}
    {cmd:,} {cmd:id(}{it:id_var}{cmd:)}
    {cmdab:out:labels(}{it:outcome_labels}{cmd:)}
    {cmdab:item:labels(}{it:item_labels}{cmd:)}
    [{it:optional options}]

{p 4 4 2}
If no variables are listed, all will be used. {cmd:if} and {cmd:in} can
be used to select cases to be written.

{synoptset 20 tabbed}{...}
{synopthdr}
{synoptline}

{synopt :{opt id(id_variable)}}adds {it:id_variable} to the output as
an ID variable.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt out:labels(string)}}names the outcome categories.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt item:labels(string)}}provides labels for the items/sequencess.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt sort(string|_all)}}indicates which variables to include when
sorting the data before saving (details below). _all to sort all variables;
a sequence of y's and n's to specify which variables (e.g., yyynyn).{p_end}

{synopt :{opt title(string)}}adds a header to the pvd file.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt replace}}overwrite existing {it:filename}.pvd.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt nom:iss}}deletes all observations with missing data{p_end}

{synopt :{opt stable}}uses the stable option of {helpb sort}.{p_end}

{synopt :{opt test}}runs program in test mode for debugging.{p_end}

{synoptline}

{p 4 6 2}
If {it:filename} is specified without a suffix, {opt .pvd} is assumed.
If your {it:filename} contains embedded spaces, remember to enclose
it in double quotes.{p_end}
{synoptline}

{title:Description}

{pstd}
{opt stata2pvd} writes data into a file in comma-separated ASCII format for
use by the data visualization program PathView.
{opt stata2pvd} allows you optionally to select variables,
specify an id variable,
delete missing values, and sort on selected variables.

{title:Details on Options}

{phang}
{opt sort(string|_all)}} indicates which variables to include when
sorting the data before saving. If you specify sort(_all), the data
will be sorted using all varaibles in {it:varlist}. Otherwise,
{it:string} is a sequence of y's and n's (e.g., sort({it:yyny})
corresponding to the sequence of variables in {it:varlist}.
A y indicates a variable is to be included when sorting; a n
indicates is is not included. For examples, sort(yyny) would use
the first, second and fourth variables from {it:varlist} when
sorting the data before it is saved.

{title:Examples}

{phang2}{cmd:stata2pvd v4-v8 using testfile, id(v2) sort(yyyn) nomiss replace}

{phang2}{cmd:stata2pvd b_mpg b_weight using pvout, replace}

{pmore}

{title:Author}

{p 5 5}
J. Scott Long{break}
Indiana University{break}
Departments of Sociology & Statistics{break}
jslong{@}indiana.edu{break}
{browse "http://www.indiana.edu/~jslong/"}{p_end}

{title:Also see}

{p 4 6 2}See {help pathview} for information about the PathView program.
{p_end}