********************************************
***  Data Transfer & Access              ***
********************************************

(1) Using Internet Explorer you will want to make sure to change the
    file type to Text (*.txt extension) when you save it.  If you use
    the default *.htm format then this may lead to errors when trying
    to read the data into STATA.

(2) Text data can be accessed via the "infile" command.

(3) STATA uses the c:\DATA directory as default.  Therefore it is 
    convenient to create this directory and store your data files
    there.

(4) You can access data over the web if your computer is connected.  For
    example:

         infile age alc tob case count using http://courses.washington.edu/b513/homework/NewTuyns.data

    can be used to input the data to STATA.

(5) As you may discover, if you use your web browser to "click" on a *.do file
    your computer will recognize this as a STATA "do" file and attempt 
    to run the file.  If you'd like to just save the do-file then you can 
    use the right mouse button to just save the file without trying to view it.

    Also, on some computers the file extension *.dat is recognized for use
    with certain programs, and when that computer attempts to save a *.dat 
    file it will "automatically" (not necessarily helpful) try to make 
    conversion during transfer.  This can then cause trouble with the 
    subsequent use of the file for input to STATA.

    IF YOU ARE GETTING A DATA SET THAT ISN'T WHAT YOU EXPECT (ie. there are
    missing values that you didn't expect, or "shifted" data) then try the
    following:

    a)  View the data file with your browser and then save the file MAKING
        SURE THAT YOU SAVE IT AS TEXT (ie. using the option at the bottom
        of the window to save as *.txt).

    b)  Save the do-file in a similar way.

    c)  Use the program "notepad" to edit the do file.



********************************************
***  STATA "do" files                    ***
********************************************

(1) If a file contains a list of STATA commands then you can execute 
    the entire file (all commands) by typing (on the STATA command line):

         do YourFileName

    where "YourFileName" is the name of the file that contains the commands.
    If this command file has the *.do extension then it's not necessary to
    give the extension.

(2) To edit a command file it is easiest to use Notepad to edit the file.  If
    the file is saved as text (with the *.txt) then Notepad will automatically
    open when you double click the file.  You may also edit the file using 
    Word but want to be sure that it is saved as text -- and may need to 
    change the file type option when saving.



********************************************
***  Windows and file extensions         ***
********************************************

(thanks to Gwen Glew, 5/2002):

To use "do" files you need to know the *full file name* of the
data file, and of the "do" file.  This full name includes the extension
for the file (ie. the part of the name that follows the ".")

Windows likes to hide the file extension from the user.  That is,
if you have a file whose name is "MyData.txt" then Windows by
default will just share "MyData" as the name, and use the extension
to choose what sort of icon (picture) it will use.  However, as 
we create our analysis programs we sometimes want/need to see the
entire file name -- here's a trick to get Windows to show us all
of the information:

When using a window to display your files go to:

     Tools
          Folder Options...
               View (choose that tab)
                    [ ] Hide file extensions for known file types

Make sure that you "uncheck" this option box.