Hi, I want to merge multiple cross-sectional micro data files for each year (1992-2003) to make a single unbalanced panel on my director such as "D:\mdis2\firm.1992.dta".
All the data sets are identical in terms of variables.
Only problem is there is no identifier so I want to create a unique id using locations, sectors and starting_day.
Is there any way to merge all those files after creating a new id variable efficiently?
Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
 
input float year byte location1 int location2 byte location3 str1 sector1 byte sector2 float starting_day byte v7 int v8 byte(v9 v10)
1992 11 10 11 "D" 19    . . . . .
1992 11 10 12 "D" 15    . . . . .
1992 11 10 12 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 12 "D" 22    . . . . .
1992 11 10 13 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 13 "D" 18    . . . . .
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 5706 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 6010 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 6205 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 6606 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 6906 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 7105 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 7209 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 7304 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 7305 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 7601 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 8101 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 8601 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 8607 3 1 0 1
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 8808 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 8903 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 9103 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 9105 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 22 9106 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 13 "D" 36    . . . . .
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 6302 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 7804 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 7910 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 8712 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 8906 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 8909 3 1 0 1
1992 11 10 14 "D" 22 9104 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 14 "D" 32    . . . . .
1992 11 10 14 "D" 33    . . . . .
1992 11 10 14 "D" 36    . . . . .
1992 11 10 15 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 15 "D" 21    . . . . .
1992 11 10 15 "D" 22    . . . . .
1992 11 10 15 "D" 22    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 18    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 18    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 21    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 22    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 24    . . . . .
1992 11 10 16 "D" 30    . . . . .
1992 11 10 17 "D" 22 6807 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 17 "D" 22 8003 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 17 "D" 22 8211 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 17 "D" 22 8802 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 19    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 5211 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 6503 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7202 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7204 3 2 2 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7507 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7508 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7708 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7709 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7809 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 7902 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 8005 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 8007 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 8403 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 8504 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 9108 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 22 9212 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 18 "D" 24    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 25    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 28    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 29    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 32    . . . . .
1992 11 10 18 "D" 36    . . . . .
1992 11 10 19 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22  808 2 0 0 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 5305 2 0 0 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 5611 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 6404 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 7107 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 8104 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 8306 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 8608 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 8809 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 22 8902 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 19 "D" 28    . . . . .
1992 11 10 19 "D" 28    . . . . .
1992 11 10 19 "D" 29    . . . . .
1992 11 10 20 "D" 22    . . . . .
1992 11 10 21 "D" 15    . . . . .
1992 11 10 21 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 21 "D" 17    . . . . .
1992 11 10 21 "D" 18 6901 3 1 0 1
1992 11 10 21 "D" 18 8404 3 1 0 1
1992 11 10 21 "D" 18 9004 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 2606 2 0 0 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 4512 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 5011 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 5309 3 1 1 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 5406 1 0 0 0
1992 11 10 21 "D" 22 5409 2 0 0 0
end