Solution for "Exercise: Write Two New Rules"

1. Create a copy of SConstruct-addAbyss and rename it SConstruct-2NewRules.

2. Write a new do-file count_last.do to create a frequency count dataset last.dta from the input text last.txt.

Here is count_last.do code:

version 16.1
quietly include profile.do 

countWords, inputFile("last.txt") outputFile("last.dta")  

exit 

And here is the result of running count_last.do in Stata:

. do "code/count_last.do"

. version 16.1

. quietly include profile.do 
pandoc C:\Program Files\Pandoc\pandoc.exe
wkhtmltopdf C:\Program Files\wkhtmltopdf\bin\wkhtmltopdf.exe

. 
. countWords, inputFile("last.txt") outputFile("last.dta")  
(note: file outputs/data/dta/last.dta not found)
file outputs/data/dta/last.dta saved

. 
. exit 

end of do-file

Check the top 5 lines in the output file last.dta:

. use outputs/data/dta/last.dta, clear

. li in 1/5

     +-------------------------+
     | word    freq      share |
     |-------------------------|
  1. |  the   10684   .0627386 |
  2. |  and    4904   .0287973 |
  3. |   to    4472   .0262605 |
  4. |   of    4326   .0254031 |
  5. |    a    3577   .0210049 |
     +-------------------------+

. clear

3. Add a rule to our new SConstruct to build last.dta.

In your text editor, open the file called Sconstruct-2NewRules and add a new rule:

cmd_last_data = env.StataBuild(
	target = 'outputs/data/dta/last.dta',
	source = 'code/count_last.do'
)
Depends(cmd_last_data,
	['inputs/txt/last.txt',
	'code/ado/personal/countWords.ado',
	'code/ado/plus/w/wordfreq.ado']
)

4. Update testZipf.do to incorporate last.dta, but do not re-create testZipf.txt directly in Stata. (We will update the SConstruct-2NewRules and re-create it using statacons in the next step.)

Open testZipf.do in Do-file editor and add last in local inputFiles.

local inputFiles isles abyss last

(Do not run testZipf.do directly in Stata.)

5. Add a rule in our new SConstruct to build testZipf.txt.

In your text editor, open the file called Sconstruct-2NewRules and add new dependencies 'outputs/data/dta/last.dta' in Depends of the task cmd_results.

cmd_results = env.StataBuild(
	target = 'outputs/tables/testZipf.txt',
	source = 'code/testZipf.do'
)
Depends(cmd_results,
	['outputs/data/dta/last.dta',
	'outputs/data/dta/abyss.dta',
	'outputs/data/dta/isles.dta']
)

6. Use SConstruct-2NewRules to see if any of the targets need to be rebuilt.

Use option file(SConstruct-2NewRules) to assign specific SConstruct file and option dry_run to get a preview of what statacons will do.

. statacons, dry_run debug(explain) file(SConstruct-2NewRules)
scons: Reading SConscript files ...
Using 'LabelsFormatsOnly' custom_datasignature.
Calculates timestamp-independent checksum of dataset, 
  including variable formats, variable labels and value labels.
Edit use_custom_datasignature in config_project.ini to change.
  (other options are Strict, DataOnly, False)
scons: done reading SConscript files.
scons: Building targets ...
scons: Cannot explain why `outputs\data\dta\last.dta' is being rebuilt: No prev
> ious build information found
stata_run(["outputs\data\dta\last.dta"], ["code\count_last.do"])
scons: Cannot explain why `outputs\tables\testZipf.txt' is being rebuilt: No pr
> evious build information found
stata_run(["outputs\tables\testZipf.txt"], ["code\testZipf.do"])
scons: done building targets.

Run statacons.

. statacons, file(SConstruct-2NewRules)
scons: Reading SConscript files ...
Using 'LabelsFormatsOnly' custom_datasignature.
Calculates timestamp-independent checksum of dataset, 
  including variable formats, variable labels and value labels.
Edit use_custom_datasignature in config_project.ini to change.
  (other options are Strict, DataOnly, False)
scons: done reading SConscript files.
scons: Building targets ...
stata_run(["outputs\data\dta\last.dta"], ["code\count_last.do"])
Running: "C:\Program Files\Stata16\StataMP-64.exe" /e do "code\count_last.do".
  Starting in hidden desktop (pid=16676).
stata_run(["outputs\tables\testZipf.txt"], ["code\testZipf.do"])
Running: "C:\Program Files\Stata16\StataMP-64.exe" /e do "code\testZipf.do".
  Starting in hidden desktop (pid=34660).
scons: done building targets.

Check if statacons re-creates testZipf.txt.

. type outputs/tables/testZipf.txt
Book    First   Second  Ratio
isles   3315    2185    1.5171624
abyss   3538    2524    1.4017433
last    10684   4904    2.1786296