Support for frames in %browse magic about nbstata HOT 6 CLOSED

Not necessarily syntax-compatible in a strict sense, but just sort of in a similar spirit. I guess the main goal I have in mind is that it be easy/natural for Stata users to learn and remember the syntax.

Anyway, whoops, I may have jumped the gun (but I had other work that I urgently need to procrastinate on, apparently): I went ahead and pushed a version of this. We can always revise the syntax later, though. Let me know how it strikes you in practice, or if you bump into any other issues.

from nbstata.

Thanks! I'll give it a go and report back in a few days after I've got my current data analysis project off my desk and can update the kernel without tempting Murphy's law.

from nbstata.

Finally had a chance to test this and it seems to be working great—thanks!

from nbstata.

I like this. The only thing I'm pondering is the syntax. It's rare for Stata commands to have a frame(someframe) option (maybe only frlink?). And I don't think they'd ever allow if somevariable == 1 for a variable not present in the current frame. Like we could do %browse frame someframe: if somevariable == 1 or %frame_browse someframe: if somevariable == 1, but I'm not sure either is an improvement. %frame someframe: browse if somevariable == 1 or %frame someframe: %browse if somevariable == 1?

from nbstata.

I'm leaning toward:

%frbrowse framename[: [varlist] [if] [in] [, nolabel noformat]]

edit: I'm not sure how to best indicate this in the syntax diagram, but %frbrowse framename is valid as the most basic call.

from nbstata.

Is the design goal to keep the magic syntax-compatible with the underlying stata command?

Because if that is the objective, a generic %frame prefix for magics would probably be nice and modular:%frame framename: %browse…, but equally %frame framename: %head…

Another possiblity that occurred to me would be a %frame magic that was the equivalent of wrapping the cell in frame framename { } but also worked on magics—but that would do unexpected things if the notebook was exported to a .do file, so I suspect is not a good idea.

from nbstata.