Stata tip: Rename the value label associated with a variable, when renaming said variable

Suppose you have a datset with the variable a9, and the value label associated with this is a9 (or gobledygook, or whatever). You may want to change this variable name to something more telling, like maritalstatus. If you use

rename a9 maritalstatus

The value label remains a9. The following ado file will allow you to change both the variable name and the name of the variable label at the same time:

renamevarandvarlabel a9 maritalstatus

now both the variable name and the variable label are maritalstatus. Note that the original variable label can be named anything. For example, if the original variable label was gobledygook, it would still be changed to maritalstatus.

program define renamevarandvaluelabel

    // Written by Shafique Jamal (shafique.jamal@gmail.com). 25 Nov 2012

    // This program renames the variable and the value label. Usage:
    //     renamevarandvaluelabel originalvarname newvarname
    // What it does:
    //    rename originalvarname newvarname
    // and it changes the name of the value label of originalvarname to newvarname.
    // Just make sure that if there is already a value label named newvarname, you're ok with loosing it.

    // syntax anything(id="variable and values" name=arguments)
    syntax anything(id="original and new label name" name=labelnames)
    version 9.1
   
    // steps:
    //    1. drop the label with the new label name, if it exists
    //  2. create the new label from the old label
    //  3. apply this new label to variable
   
    // di "labelnames = `labelnames'"
   
    foreach item of local labelnames {
        // di `"item = `item'"'
    }
   
    tempname originallabelname
    tempname originalvarname
    local `originalvarname' : word 1 of `labelnames'
    tempname newvarandlabelname
    local `newvarandlabelname' : word 2 of `labelnames'
   
    // Step 1. drop the label with the new label name, if it exists. Wait, if it exists... what do we do? Quit the program
    cap label list ``newvarandlabelname''
    if (_rc == 0) {
        di "That label (``newvarandlabelname'') already exists. You can use the command "renamevaluelabel [oldlabelname] [newlabelname] written by Shafique Jamal (shafique.jamal@gmail.com) to change that value label name." Exiting"
        exit
    }
   
    // Step 2. create the new label from the old label. First need to get the name of the label value of the original variable name. Do this only if there is a value label attached
    local `originallabelname' : value label ``originalvarname''
    if ("``originallabelname''"~="" & "``originallabelname''"~=" ") {
   
        di "There is an existing label"
        label copy ``originallabelname'' ``newvarandlabelname''
   
        // Step 3. rename the variable, then attached the new variable label
        rename ``originalvarname'' ``newvarandlabelname''
        label values ``newvarandlabelname'' ``newvarandlabelname''
    }
    else { // Just rename the variable, forget about the value label, if there is no original value label
   
        di "No existing label"
        rename ``originalvarname'' ``newvarandlabelname''
    }
   
   
end