FAQ
Getting Started
Do I need to change my Stata scripts?
No. stacy runs your existing .do files unchanged.
Can I use stacy with existing projects?
Yes. Run stacy init in any directory to create stacy.toml. Existing scripts work as before.
What if I don’t use Make or Snakemake?
stacy works standalone. You get error detection, lockfile packages, and the task runner:
[scripts]
clean = "clean_data.do"
all = ["clean", "analysis.do"]
stacy task all
How is stacy different from batch mode?
| Batch mode | stacy |
|---|---|
| Always exits 0 | Exits 1-10 on errors |
| Errors in log only | Errors shown with docs link |
| No package management | Lockfile pins versions |
Package Management
How is the lockfile different from net install?
net install gets whatever version exists today. The lockfile records exact versions with checksums. stacy install reproduces those exact versions.
Can I use packages not on SSC?
Yes:
stacy add github:sergiocorreia/reghdfe
stacy add github:user/repo@v1.2
What happens if SSC is down?
Packages are cached at ~/.cache/stacy/packages/. Cached packages work offline.
Where are packages stored?
Global cache at ~/.cache/stacy/packages/, organized by name/version. stacy sets S_ADO at runtime for project isolation.
Technical
How does stacy detect errors?
Runs Stata with -b -q, parses the log for r() patterns, returns appropriate exit code. See How It Works.
Does stacy modify my Stata installation?
No. stacy manages packages in its own cache and sets S_ADO at runtime.
What are the exit codes?
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Success |
| 1 | Stata error |
| 2 | Syntax error |
| 3 | File error |
| 4 | Memory error |
| 5 | Internal error |
| 10 | Environment error |
Updates
Does stacy check for updates automatically?
Yes. On startup, stacy checks a local cache for available updates and prints a notification to stderr. The cache is refreshed in the background every 24 hours via the GitHub Releases API. This never blocks or slows down commands.
How do I disable update checks?
Either set update_check = false in ~/.config/stacy/config.toml, or set the STACY_NO_UPDATE_CHECK environment variable. Update checks are also suppressed automatically in CI and non-interactive environments. See User Config for details.
Compatibility
Does stacy work on Windows?
Yes. Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Which Stata versions are supported?
Stata 14+ (MP, SE, BE, StataNow).
Can I use stacy in Docker?
Yes. Set STATA_BINARY environment variable.
Does stacy work with Stata GUI?
stacy is for command-line workflows (batch mode). Use Stata directly for interactive work.