Greatly simplify PSPP configuration.

[pspp-builds.git] / doc / language.texi

diff --git a/doc/language.texi b/doc/language.texi
index 3a7302cc168dd1986bab2d52cc19d1d711e703b5..19c9a6b9dc72593d76ec80ba7ba4722bf71e3772 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/language.texi
+++ b/doc/language.texi
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 @cindex language, PSPP
 @cindex PSPP, language
 
-@note{PSPP is not even close to completion.
-Only a few statistical procedures are implemented.  PSPP
-is a work in progress.}
-
 This chapter discusses elements common to many PSPP commands.
 Later chapters will describe individual commands in detail.
 
@@ -212,9 +208,9 @@ new command, which allows for visual indentation of a command without
 that command being considered part of the previous command. 
 The period terminating the end of a command is optional but recommended.
 
-In interactive mode, each command must  either be terminated with a period,
-or an empty line must follow the command.
-The use of (@samp{+} and @samp{@minus{}} as continuation characters is not
+In interactive mode, each command must be terminated with a period
+or by a blank line.
+The use of @samp{+} and @samp{@minus{}} as continuation characters is not
 permitted.
 
 @node Types of Commands
@@ -379,9 +375,7 @@ spaces.
 Variables, whether numeric or string, can have designated
 @dfn{user-missing values}.  Every user-missing value is an actual value
 for that variable.  However, most of the time user-missing values are
-treated in the same way as the system-missing value.  String variables
-that are wider than a certain width, usually 8 characters (depending on
-computer architecture), cannot have user-missing values.
+treated in the same way as the system-missing value.
 
 For more information on missing values, see the following sections:
 @ref{Variables}, @ref{MISSING VALUES}, @ref{Expressions}.  See also the
@@ -447,13 +441,9 @@ Numeric or string.
 @item Width
 (string variables only) String variables with a width of 8 characters or
 fewer are called @dfn{short string variables}.  Short string variables
-can be used in many procedures where @dfn{long string variables} (those
+may be used in a few contexts where @dfn{long string variables} (those
 with widths greater than 8) are not allowed.
 
-Certain systems may consider strings longer than 8
-characters to be short strings.  Eight characters represents a minimum
-figure for the maximum length of a short string.
-
 @item Position
 Variables in the dictionary are arranged in a specific order.
 @cmd{DISPLAY} can be used to show this order: see @ref{DISPLAY}.