Dear Statalist experts,
I have the following dataset, all variables are strings, my question is, how can I convert the date into a date that stata understands? I have tried the following line of code,
"destring date DPCERA DDURRA DNDGRA DSERRA, generate(date_1 DPCERA_1 DDURRA_1 DNDGRA_1 DSERRA_1)", However, Stata refuses to generate anything

Thank you in advance,
Sarah

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Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str7 date str39 DPCERA str17 DDURRA str18 DNDGRA str17 DSERRA
"1959M01" "17.272" "6.494"             "28.203" "16.528"
"1959M02" "17.452" "6.784"             "28.253" "16.656"
"1959M03" "17.617" "6.812"             "28.799" "16.695"
"1959M04" "17.553" "6.9"               "28.307" "16.752"
"1959M05" "17.765" "6.934"             "28.87"  "16.877"
"1959M06" "17.831" "7.013"             "28.784" "16.997"
"1959M07" "17.77"  "6.924"             "28.625" "17.023"
"1959M08" "17.877" "7.076"             "28.7"   "17.091"
"1959M09" "18.057" "7.251"             "28.965" "17.196"
"1959M10" "17.934" "6.855"             "28.976" "17.234"
"1959M11" "17.926" "6.837"             "28.849" "17.297"
"1959M12" "17.906" "6.543"             "29"     "17.4"  
"1960M01" "17.956" "6.621"             "29.034" "17.427"
"1960M02" "18.034" "6.996"             "28.754" "17.451"
"1960M03" "18.289" "7.268"             "29.254" "17.521"
"1960M04" "18.572" "7.524"             "29.794" "17.64" 
"1960M05" "18.198" "7.006"             "28.958" "17.681"
"1960M06" "18.194" "6.83"              "29.24"  "17.658"
"1960M07" "18.231" "6.89"              "29.342" "17.637"
"1960M08" "18.213" "7.028"             "29.109" "17.618"
"1960M09" "18.3"   "7.273"             "29.026" "17.661"
"1960M10" "18.389" "7.207"             "29.304" "17.752"
"1960M11" "18.325" "6.911"             "29.312" "17.834"
"1960M12" "18.1"   "6.541"             "28.923" "17.84" 
"1961M01" "18.145" "6.413"             "29.102" "17.934"
"1961M02" "18.212" "6.459"             "29.302" "17.936"
"1961M03" "18.438" "6.652"             "29.653" "18.083"
"1961M04" "18.447" "6.567"             "29.634" "18.174"
"1961M05" "18.559" "6.662"             "29.748" "18.277"
"1961M06" "18.604" "6.7"               "29.854" "18.289"
"1961M07" "18.548" "6.753"             "29.616" "18.255"
"1961M08" "18.615" "6.81"              "29.757" "18.279"
"1961M09" "18.718" "6.853"             "29.931" "18.373"
"1961M10" "18.836" "6.954"             "29.973" "18.52" 
"1961M11" "19.018" "7.152"             "30.195" "18.639"
"1961M12" "19.15"  "7.299"             "30.351" "18.724"
"1962M01" "19.156" "7.274"             "30.368" "18.745"
"1962M02" "19.147" "7.241"             "30.286" "18.792"
"1962M03" "19.306" "7.352"             "30.616" "18.871"
"1962M04" "19.373" "7.4"               "30.549" "19.007"
"1962M05" "19.521" "7.572"             "30.696" "19.113"
"1962M06" "19.423" "7.483"             "30.389" "19.131"
"1962M07" "19.487" "7.48"              "30.565" "19.175"
"1962M08" "19.54"  "7.455"             "30.712" "19.23" 
"1962M09" "19.76"  "7.682"             "31.07"  "19.334"
"1962M10" "19.662" "7.488"             "30.82"  "19.399"
"1962M11" "19.922" "7.952"             "30.976" "19.521"
"1962M12" "20.035" "8.173999999999999" "31.07"  "19.544"
"1963M01" "20.028" "8.116"             "31.173" "19.521"
"1963M02" "19.953" "7.998"             "30.953" "19.562"
"1963M03" "20.055" "7.971"             "31.246" "19.643"
"1963M04" "20.127" "8.109"             "31.153" "19.738"
"1963M05" "20.141" "8.140000000000001" "31.166" "19.737"
"1963M06" "20.335" "8.353"             "31.373" "19.878"
"1963M07" "20.44"  "8.432"             "31.419" "20.012"
"1963M08" "20.512" "8.224"             "31.73"  "20.152"
"1963M09" "20.474" "8.250999999999999" "31.399" "20.221"
"1963M10" "20.462" "8.188000000000001" "31.264" "20.31" 
"1963M11" "20.614" "8.419"             "31.413" "20.381"
"1963M12" "20.86"  "8.693"             "31.752" "20.519"
"1964M01" "20.928" "8.760999999999999" "31.705" "20.631"
"1964M02" "21.075" "8.819000000000001" "32.073" "20.707"
"1964M03" "21.149" "8.705"             "32.267" "20.843"
"1964M04" "21.187" "8.782999999999999" "32.174" "20.909"
"1964M05" "21.48"  "9.022"             "32.845" "21.004"
"1964M06" "21.603" "9.166"             "32.859" "21.146"
"1964M07" "21.762" "9.316000000000001" "33.16"  "21.214"
"1964M08" "21.893" "9.406000000000001" "33.447" "21.275"
"1964M09" "21.801" "9.140000000000001" "33.184" "21.406"
"1964M10" "21.944" "9.298"             "33.39"  "21.482"
"1964M11" "21.744" "8.929"             "32.86"  "21.598"
"1964M12" "21.955" "8.779"             "33.732" "21.698"
"1965M01" "22.111" "9.244"             "33.559" "21.775"
"1965M02" "22.464" "9.91"              "33.934" "21.84" 
"1965M03" "22.533" "10.365"            "33.445" "21.906"
"1965M04" "22.693" "10.218"            "33.989" "22.065"
"1965M05" "22.672" "9.877000000000001" "34.16"  "22.173"
"1965M06" "22.483" "9.470000000000001" "33.754" "22.272"
"1965M07" "22.765" "9.709"             "34.346" "22.384"
"1965M08" "22.932" "10.082"            "34.347" "22.467"
"1965M09" "23.316" "10.786"            "34.735" "22.57" 
"1965M10" "23.641" "10.701"            "35.858" "22.73" 
"1965M11" "23.632" "10.637"            "35.63"  "22.867"
"1965M12" "23.68"  "10.527"            "35.777" "22.967"
"1966M01" "23.831" "10.829"            "35.913" "23.001"
"1966M02" "23.991" "11.109"            "36.039" "23.073"
"1966M03" "24.178" "11.443"            "36.092" "23.201"
"1966M04" "24.191" "11.109"            "36.44"  "23.277"
"1966M05" "23.965" "10.528"            "36.162" "23.35" 
"1966M06" "24.029" "10.413"            "36.468" "23.402"
"1966M07" "24.237" "10.621"            "36.818" "23.508"
"1966M08" "24.275" "11.024"            "36.436" "23.505"
"1966M09" "24.498" "11.455"            "36.599" "23.59" 
"1966M10" "24.391" "11.169"            "36.445" "23.639"
"1966M11" "24.442" "10.988"            "36.581" "23.795"
"1966M12" "24.481" "10.93"             "36.522" "23.941"
"1967M01" "24.597" "11.017"            "36.749" "24.003"
"1967M02" "24.506" "10.637"            "36.977" "23.958"
"1967M03" "24.634" "10.807"            "37.053" "24.066"
"1967M04" "24.867" "11.282"            "37.2"   "24.15" 
end
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