Create and execute a STATA do file passing some variables as mustache tags

STATA.R

library(dplyr)

# Estimate a panel data model using plm and STATA
# Transmit some variables to STATA using mustache tags

# Write panel data to csv for use in STATA
write.csv(Grunfeld, path, item_, ".csv", names = FALSE, na = ".")


#' Create and execute a STATA do file 
#' 
#' variables workingdirectory, filename and 
#' allitems are currently used as mustache tag variables.
#' More information on the Mustache format:
#' https://github.com/mustache/mustache
#' See source near STATAcommand to see how the replacement is done.
#' @param dtf a data frame containing at leas an item column
#' @param STATAcommand the stata command with optional mustache
#'        variables included
#' @param filename the name of the file without extension
#' @param sleep waiting time after calling stata and before reading the csv result file
#' @examples 
#'\dontrun{
#' 
#' # Prepare data
#' fp <- loadbalancedpanel2forstata(variable = c("consumption",
#'                                               "gdpconstantusd",
#'                                               "price"))
#' writebalancedpanel2csv(fp)
#' 
#' # Stata command
#' STATAcommand <- '
#' cd {{workingdirectory}}
#' file open resultfile using {{filename}}.csv, write replace
#' file write resultfile "item,pesaran,pvalue" _n
#' foreach itemfile in {{allitems}}{
#'      clear
#'      insheet using "`itemfile\'.csv"
#'      xtset country year
#'      eststo `itemfile\' : quietly xtreg lcons lgdprusd lprice, fe
#'      xtcsd, pesaran 
#'      file write resultfile (item) "," (r(pesaran)) "," (2*(1-normal(abs(r(pesaran))))) _n
#' }
#' file close resultfile'
#' 
#' # Execute the STATA command
#' fp %>% stata(STATAcommand, "pesarantest")
#' fp %>% filter(item == "TotalPaperandPaperboard") %>%
#'     stata(STATAcommand, "pesarantest")
#'     
#' # View the STATA log file
#' cat(system2("less","data-end/STATA/pesarantest.log", stdout=TRUE), sep="\n")
#'}
#' @export
stata <- function(dtf, STATAcommand, filename, sleep = 0.5){
    workingdirectory <- file.path(getwd(),"data-end/STATA/")
    allitems <- paste(unique(dtf$item), collapse = " ")
    ### Create a STATA do file
    dofile <- file(paste0("data-end/STATA/", filename, ".do"), "w")
    STATAcommand %>%
        gsub("\\{\\{workingdirectory\\}\\}", workingdirectory, .) %>%
        gsub("\\{\\{filename\\}\\}", filename, .) %>%
        gsub("\\{\\{allitems\\}\\}", allitems, .) %>%
        cat(file = dofile)
    close(dofile)
    ### Execute the STATA do file
    basedir <- getwd()
    setwd("data-end/STATA/")
    tryCatch(system2("/usr/local/stata/stata",
                     c("-b", "do", paste0(filename,".do", "&")),
                     wait = TRUE),
             finally = setwd(basedir))
    # Even with system(wait = TRUE) the file is not created
    # before read.csv tries to read it
#     message("Wait 0.5 seconds for the csv file to be written")
    Sys.sleep(sleep)
    result <- read.csv(paste0("data-end/STATA/",
                              filename,".csv"))
    return(result)
}