*! 8jun2011 
program collectpaths
version 11.1 
syntax anything(everything), [fn(string) fpaths(string) fnames(string) fexts(string) os]
foreach bit in fn fpaths fnames fexts {
	if mi("``bit''") local `bit' `bit'
	}
mata: DoIt()
c_local `fn' `fnback'
if (`fnback'==1) {
	c_local fpaths1 `fpathsback1'
	c_local fnames1 `fpathsback2'
	c_local fexts1 `fpathsback3'
	}
else {
	forval f=1/`fnback' {
		c_local `fpaths'`f' `fpathsback`f'1'
		c_local `fnames'`f' `fpathsback`f'2'
		c_local `fexts'`f' `fpathsback`f'3'
		}
	}

end 

version 11.1
mata:

void DoIt() {
	parts=columnize(st_local("anything"),";")
	files=J(0,1,"")
	for (p=1;p<=length(parts);p++) files=files\multipath(parts[p],".dta")
	files=pathparts(uniqrows(files))
	if (st_local("os")=="") files[,1]=subinstr(files[,1],dirsep(),"/")
	st_local("fnback",strofreal(rows(files)))
	tostata("fpathsback",files)
	}

end