Debugging: The #1 Economics Interview Question

"The code crashed. What do you do?" This is the single most common interview question at the Bank of Canada, IMF, and top universities. The wrong answer? "I'll ask my boss."

In Part 2 of the Stata Masterclass, I teach you a professional debugging strategy. You will learn how to diagnose the 6 most common Stata errors, including path issues, type mismatches (red variables), and the nasty hidden errors that invalidate your results.

📂 Download the Code & Data here: [https://github.com/SSEconomics/stata-...](https://github.com/SSEconomics/stata-...)

*About This Video*

I walk you through what to do when you encounter an error. We cover the 6 most common **Stata error codes**. We don't just fix syntax errors; we tackle the dangerous "Silent Errors"—mistakes that allow your code to run perfectly while producing entirely wrong results.

If you want to move from "copy-pasting" AI code to actually understanding how Stata thinks, this masterclass is for you.

*In This Video, You Will Learn:*

*The Interview Strategy:* How to answer "What do you do when code crashes?"
*Setup Hygiene:* Why your file paths keep breaking (`r(601)`).
*Data Types:* How to fix "Type Mismatch" (`r(109)`) and handle Red vs. Black data.
*Logic Checks:* How to spot "Silent Killers"—mistakes that don't produce error messages
*Advanced Syntax:* Understanding Locals and cases of "Invalid Syntax"(`r(198)`).
In this video, you will learn:

*⏱️ Timestamps*

0:00 - The Economics Interview Question
0:42 - The 3 Golden Rules of Debugging
1:33 - Error #1: File Not Found r(601) (Zips & Paths)
3:01 - Error #2: The Safety Lock r(4) (Data in Memory)
3:29 - Error #3: Type Mismatch r(109) (String vs. Numeric)
4:48 - Error #4: Variable Not Found r(111) & Time Series
5:48 - Error #5: The Silent Killer (Logic Errors)
6:24 - Error #6: Invalid Syntax r(198) (Locals)
7:12 - Next Steps: Economic Analysis

*🔗 Resources & Links*

*Instructor:* Dr. Stephen Snudden, Assistant Professor at the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics (Wilfrid Laurier University).
*GitHub Repository:* [https://github.com/SSEconomics/stata-...](https://github.com/SSEconomics/stata-...)
*Research Website:* [https://stephensnudden.com/research/](https://stephensnudden.com/research/)
*Subscribe for more:* [   / @ssnudden  ](   / @ssnudden  )

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