Dear all,

I am trying to use labmask to assign a numeric variable "school_geo_area" the values of (the string variable) "geographical_area". The example of the dataset is below and the exact code I am running is the following:

Code:
* Generate numeric version of geographical area
        gen school_geo_area = 1 if geographical_area == "North"
            replace school_geo_area = 2 if geographical_area == "Center"
            replace school_geo_area = 3 if geographical_area == "South and Islands"
            assert !mi(school_geo_area)
            assert !mi(geographical_area)
            * Attach value labels to school_geo_area
            labmask school_geo_area, values(​geographical_area)
However, I get the following error:

Code:
geographical_area invalid name
(error in option values())
Am I missing something very obvious of why labmask is not working? I used labmask multiple times and never encountered this error

Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input float school_geo_area str17 geographical_area
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
1 "North"            
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
3 "South and Islands"
1 "North"            
2 "Center"          
2 "Center"          
1 "North"            
end
Thank you very much in advance !