Skip to Main Content

How do I do this SPSS command in Stata? | Stata FAQ

Say that you use SPSS but wish to know how to do a particular command in
Stata. For example, you want to make a new variable and know you can use the compute command to
create a new variable in SPSS, but what is the equivalent (or similar) command
in Stata?  (By the way, there are actually three similar Stata commands,
generate, replace and egen). The table below shows you five
columns of information.

This table is by no means complete, and it not intended to
be a complete and exhaustive reference. Instead, it is intended to be a short,
simple, sweet and handy reference for SPSS users who are making the transition
to Stata. We also highly recommend
A Sample Stata Session
(via the Stata web site) which gives you a quick overview of using Stata as well
as seeing the [GS] Getting Started manual that accompanied your purchase of
Stata.

SPSS Command Stata Command(s) UCLA Web Pages Stata Manual Books
ADD FILES append
Combining data
 		 [D] append ishr – 9.5
AGGREGATE collapse
Collapsing data across observations		 [D] collapse ishr – 9.6
ANOVA anova . [R] anova  
AUTORECODE destring
encode
How can I quickly convert many string variables to numeric
 		 [D] destring
[D] encode		  
CASESTOVARS reshape wide
Reshaping data from long to wide		 [D] reshape  
COMMENT *
/* */
//		 . [P] comments ishr 4.8
COMPUTE generate
replace
egen
Creating and Recoding Variables		 [D] generate
[D] replace
[D] egen		 ishr 8.1
CORRELATIONS correlate
pwcorr		 – Overview of statistical
tests in Stata
– Annotated
output for the correlation command		 [R] correlate  
CROSSTABS tabulate
tab2		 Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		 [R]
tabulate twoway		 ishr 10.3
DATA LIST infile
infix
insheet		 Inputting raw data files into Stata [D] infile (free
format)
[D] insheet
[D] infix (fixed
format)		 ishr 6.3
DELETE VARIABLES keep
drop		 Subsetting variables and observations [D] drop  
DESCRIPTIVES summarize – Descriptive information and statistics
– Annotated output
for the summarize command
 		 [R] summarize ishr 10.1
DISPLAY describe . [D] describe  
DOCUMENT notes . [D] notes  
DO IF xyzcommand if Stata Learning Module:
Using "if" for subsetting with Stata Commands		 [U] 11.1.3 if exp  
DO REPEAT foreach Working across
variables using foreach		 [P] foreach ishr – 17.4
ECHO display . [P] display  
ERASE erase . [D] erase  
EXAMINE tabulate x, summarize(y) Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		 [R] tabulate,
summarize()		  
EXECUTE no equivalent comment: transformation commands always immediately executed none  
EXPORT no equivalent comment: all Stata files can be used on all platforms none  
FACTOR factor Annotated output for
the factor command		 [MV] factor  
FILE LABEL label data Labeling data,
variables and values		 [D] label  
FILTER xyzcommand if (___) Using "if" for subsetting
with Stata Commands		 [U] 11.1.3 if exp  
FLIP xpose . [D] xpose  
FORMATS format . [D] format ishr – 5.2
FREQUENCIES tabulate Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		 [R] tabulate oneway ishr – 10.3
GET FILE use Using and saving Stata
data files		 [D] use ishr – 6.1
GET SAS fdause – SAS to Stata
– SAS w/formats to
Stata		 [D] fdause  
GRAPH graph
Introduction to graphics		 [G] graph  
IF generate __ if __ Using "if" for subsetting
with Stata Commands		 [U] 11.1.3 if exp ishr – 8.1
IGRAPH graph
Introduction to graphics		 [G] graph  
INCLUDE FILE do ___ . [R] do  
LIST list . [D] list  
LOGISTIC REGRESSION logistic Data
Analysis Example: Logistic Regression		 [R] logistic  
LOOP forvalues   [P] forvalues  
MATCH FILES merge Combining Stata data
files		 [D] merge ishr – 9.5
MEANS tabulate __, summarize(__) Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		 [R] tabulate,
summarize()		 ishr – 10.4
MISSING VALUES none . [U] 12.2.1
Missing Values		  
MIXED xtmixed . [XT] xtmixed  
NOMREG mlogit Data
Analysis Example: Multinomial Logistic Regression		 [R] mlogit  
PLUM ologit Data
Analysis Example: Ordinal Logistic Regression		 [R] ologit  
PROBIT probit Data
Analysis Example: Probit Regression		 [R] probit  
RECODE recode Creating and Recoding
Variables		 [D] recode ishr – 8.4
RECORD TYPE no equivalent
http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/data/hier.html 		   
REGRESSION regress – Regression with
Stata
– Annotated output for
the regress command		 [R] regress  
RELIABILITY alpha . [R] alpha  
RENAME VARIABLES rename . [D] rename  
SAMPLE sample . [D] sample ishr – 9.2
SAVE save Using and saving Stata
data files		 [D] save ishr – 6.1
SELECT IF keep if
drop if		 Subsetting variables
and observations		 [D] drop ishr – 9.2
SORT CASES sort . [D] sort ishr – 9.4
SPLIT FILE by . [D] by
[U] 11 Language syntax		 ishr – 4.7
SUMMARIZE tabulate ___, summarize(___) Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		 [R] tabulate,
summarize()		  
TEMPORARY.
SELECT IF (___).		 xyzcommand if (___) Using "if" for subsetting
with Stata Commands		 [U] 11.1.3 if exp ishr – 4.4
T-TEST ttest Overview of statistical
tests in Stata		   ishr – 10.4
VALUE LABELS label values Labeling data,
variables and values

[D]
label

 ishr – 7.1
VARIABLE LABELS label variable Labeling data,
variables and values		 [D] label ishr – 7.1
VARSTOCASES reshape long Reshaping data from
wide to long		 [D] reshape  
WEIGHT aw pw fw iw What types of weights do
SAS, Stata and SPSS support?		 [U] l11.1.6
weight		 ishr – 4.5

Legend