Automatic number series?

Question

Hi all!
I've tried the pages forum but hit a dead end and was refered to this forum. This is what i posted in the pages forum:
"I have been lurking these forums for a long time as a guest (to lazy to actually sign in) and now I have a question I can't find the answer for...
First some background: I am using my computer for my thesis (medical statistics and traumatology) and most often I write my commands in Pages and then "copy/paste" them into my commandprompts in the statisticalprogram(STATA) as an "do"-file. This usually is a very efficient method for me and "search/replace" have been a good old friend for years. As time goes by my work is increasing in size and my last thing is thinking about trying to make Pages help me do "automatic number series"(?) instead of "search/replace". Is there anyone out there who knows how to make the program do my work so I could save my brain(and time) to more important things?
this is the command i want to change:
gen S055_surv=1 if dead==0 & (hdia=="S055" | bdia1=="S055" | bdia2=="S055" | bdia3=="S055" | bdia4=="S055" | bdia5=="S055" | bdia6=="S055" | bdia7=="S055" | bdia8=="S055" | bdia9=="S055")
gen S055_total=1 if hdia=="S055" | bdia1=="S055" | bdia2=="S055" | bdia3=="S055" | bdia4=="S055" | bdia5=="S055" | bdia6=="S055" | bdia7=="S055" | bdia8=="S055" | bdia9=="S055"
egen S055_surv_srr=total(S055_surv)
egen S055_total_srr=total(S055_total)
gen S055_srr=S055_surv_srr/S055_total_srr
the next in the series will look like this:
gen S056_surv=1 if dead==0 & (hdia=="S056" | bdia1=="S056" | bdia2=="S056" | bdia3=="S056" | bdia4=="S056" | bdia5=="S056" | bdia6=="S056" | bdia7=="S056" | bdia8=="S056" | bdia9=="S056")
gen S056_total=1 if hdia=="S056" | bdia1=="S056" | bdia2=="S056" | bdia3=="S056" | bdia4=="S056" | bdia5=="S056" | bdia6=="S056" | bdia7=="S056" | bdia8=="S056" | bdia9=="S056"
egen S056_surv_srr=total(S056_surv)
egen S056_total_srr=total(S056_total)
gen S056_srr=S056_surv_srr/S056_total_srr
ie the number is slowly changing from S000 to S999 and then starting with T000 etc...
I just wonder if there is a way that the university could avoid me beeing paid for doing "search/replace" for hours/days?"
The problem is we couldn't find a way to make a table that did what we told it. (https://discussions.apple.com/message/26065383?ac_cid=op123456#26065383)
Is there anyone out there with a soloution?
Kind Regards
//Robert Larsen

Answer 1

Robert,
Create two tables as shown below:
The top table is a set up table
The bottom table creates the updated queuries.
In the set up table paste the exact query into the cell for the queury (cell B3) but replace the "S0055" with "<X>".  To make the example fit I abbreviated the query
In the bottom table (name "Query Results"):
the first row is a header row
A2=CHAR(CODE(SetUp::$B$1)+(ROW()−2)÷SetUp::$B$2)
this is shorthand for... select cell A2, then type (or copy and paste from here) the formula:
=CHAR(CODE(SetUp::$B$1)+(ROW()−2)÷SetUp::$B$2)
B2=REPT("0", LEN(SetUp::$B$2)−LEN(MOD(ROW()−2, SetUp::$B$2)))&MOD(ROW()−2, SetUp::$B$2)
C2=A2&B2
D2=SUBSTITUTE(SetUp::$B$3, "<X>", C2)
select A2 thru D2, copy
select columns A thru D
unselect cells A1 thru D1 by holding the command key while single clicking cells A1, B2, C2, and D1
paste
you can now select column D and copy the queries, then paste somewhere else