Flag variables without variable labels

[arthur-shaw]

Problem

In disseminated data, all variables should have variable labels. Yet variable labels may be missing for several reasons. First, some variables might be exported without a label (e.g., multi-select linked questions). Second, some data cleaning operations might (accidentally) remove labels.

To identify such cases and to ensure that no such cases remain after data work, commands are needed to:

• List variables without labels
• Assert that no variables remain without labels

Ideas for implementation

This might be as simple as writing a wrapper for ds, not(varlabel).

[arthur-shaw]

A crude sketch for variables with(out) a variable label:

capture drop lbl_has_var_label
program define lbl_has_var_label, rclass 

qui {

    syntax varname, negate

    if (!mi("`negate'") {
        ds `varname', has(varlabel)
        local local varlist = r(varlist)
    }
    else {
        ds `varname', not(varlabel)
        local local varlist = r(varlist)
    }

}