make rowlabels and collabels more regular

[pspp] / doc / data-selection.texi

@c PSPP - a program for statistical analysis.
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@c A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
@c Free Documentation License".
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@node Data Selection
@chapter Selecting data for analysis

This chapter documents @pspp{} commands that temporarily or permanently
select data records from the active dataset for analysis.

@menu
* FILTER::                      Exclude cases based on a variable.
* N OF CASES::                  Limit the size of the active dataset.
* SAMPLE::                      Select a specified proportion of cases.
* SELECT IF::                   Permanently delete selected cases.
* SPLIT FILE::                  Do multiple analyses with one command.
* TEMPORARY::                   Make transformations' effects temporary.
* WEIGHT::                      Weight cases by a variable.
@end menu

@node FILTER
@section FILTER
@vindex FILTER

@display
FILTER BY @var{var_name}.
FILTER OFF.
@end display

@cmd{FILTER} allows a boolean-valued variable to be used to select
cases from the data stream for processing.

To set up filtering, specify @subcmd{BY} and a variable name.  Keyword
BY is optional but recommended.  Cases which have a zero or system- or
user-missing value are excluded from analysis, but not deleted from the
data stream.  Cases with other values are analyzed.
To filter based on a different condition, use
transformations such as @cmd{COMPUTE} or @cmd{RECODE} to compute a
filter variable of the required form, then specify that variable on
@cmd{FILTER}.

@code{FILTER OFF} turns off case filtering.

Filtering takes place immediately before cases pass to a procedure for
analysis.  Only one filter variable may be active at a time.  Normally,
case filtering continues until it is explicitly turned off with @code{FILTER
OFF}.  However, if @cmd{FILTER} is placed after @cmd{TEMPORARY}, it filters only
the next procedure or procedure-like command.

@node N OF CASES
@section N OF CASES
@vindex N OF CASES

@display
N [OF CASES] @var{num_of_cases} [ESTIMATED].
@end display

@cmd{N OF CASES} limits the number of cases processed by any
procedures that follow it in the command stream.  @code{N OF CASES
100}, for example, tells @pspp{} to disregard all cases after the first
100.

When @cmd{N OF CASES} is specified after @cmd{TEMPORARY}, it affects
only the next procedure (@pxref{TEMPORARY}).  Otherwise, cases beyond
the limit specified are not processed by any later procedure.

If the limit specified on @cmd{N OF CASES} is greater than the number
of cases in the active dataset, it has no effect.

When @cmd{N OF CASES} is used along with @cmd{SAMPLE} or @cmd{SELECT
IF}, the case limit is applied to the cases obtained after sampling or
case selection, regardless of how @cmd{N OF CASES} is placed relative
to @cmd{SAMPLE} or @cmd{SELECT IF} in the command file.  Thus, the
commands @code{N OF CASES 100} and @code{SAMPLE .5} both randomly
sample approximately half of the active dataset's cases, then select the
first 100 of those sampled, regardless of their order in the command
file.

@cmd{N OF CASES} with the @code{ESTIMATED} keyword gives an estimated
number of cases before @cmd{DATA LIST} or another command to read in
data.  @code{ESTIMATED} never limits the number of cases processed by
procedures.  @pspp{} currently does not make use of case count estimates.

@node SAMPLE
@section SAMPLE
@vindex SAMPLE

@display
SAMPLE @var{num1} [FROM @var{num2}].
@end display

@cmd{SAMPLE} randomly samples a proportion of the cases in the active
file.  Unless it follows @cmd{TEMPORARY}, it operates as a
transformation, permanently removing cases from the active dataset.

The proportion to sample can be expressed as a single number between 0
and 1.  If @var{k} is the number specified, and @var{N} is the number
of currently-selected cases in the active dataset, then after
@subcmd{SAMPLE @var{k}.}, approximately @var{k}*@var{N} cases are
selected.

The proportion to sample can also be specified in the style @subcmd{SAMPLE
@var{m} FROM @var{N}}.  With this style, cases are selected as follows:

@enumerate
@item
If @var{N} is equal to the number of currently-selected cases in the
active dataset, exactly @var{m} cases are selected.

@item
If @var{N} is greater than the number of currently-selected cases in the
active dataset, an equivalent proportion of cases are selected.

@item
If @var{N} is less than the number of currently-selected cases in the
active, exactly @var{m} cases are selected @emph{from the first
@var{N} cases in the active dataset.}
@end enumerate

@cmd{SAMPLE} and @cmd{SELECT IF} are performed in
the order specified by the syntax file.

@cmd{SAMPLE} is always performed before @code{N OF CASES}, regardless
of ordering in the syntax file (@pxref{N OF CASES}).

The same values for @cmd{SAMPLE} may result in different samples.  To
obtain the same sample, use the @code{SET} command to set the random
number seed to the same value before each @cmd{SAMPLE}.  Different
samples may still result when the file is processed on systems with
differing endianness or floating-point formats.  By default, the
random number seed is based on the system time.

@node SELECT IF
@section SELECT IF
@vindex SELECT IF

@display
SELECT IF @var{expression}.
@end display

@cmd{SELECT IF} selects cases for analysis based on the value of
@var{expression}.  Cases not selected are permanently eliminated
from the active dataset, unless @cmd{TEMPORARY} is in effect
(@pxref{TEMPORARY}).

Specify a boolean expression (@pxref{Expressions}).  If the value of the
expression is true for a particular case, the case is analyzed.  If
the expression has a false or missing value, then the case is
deleted from the data stream.

Place @cmd{SELECT IF} as early in the command file as
possible.  Cases that are deleted early can be processed more
efficiently in time and space.
Once cases have been deleted from the active dataset using @cmd{SELECT IF} they
cannot be re-instated.
If you want to be able to re-instate cases, then use @cmd{FILTER} (@pxref{FILTER})
instead.

When @cmd{SELECT IF} is specified following @cmd{TEMPORARY}
(@pxref{TEMPORARY}), the @cmd{LAG} function may not be used
(@pxref{LAG}).

@subsection Example Select-If

A shop steward is interested in the salaries of younger personnel in a firm.
The file @file{personnel.sav} provides the salaries of all the workers and their
dates of birth.  The syntax in @ref{select-if:ex} shows how @cmd{SELECT IF} can
be used to limit analysis only to those persons born after December 31, 1999.

@float Example, select-if:ex
@psppsyntax {select-if.sps}
@caption {Using @cmd{SELECT IF} to select persons born on or after a certain date.}
@end float

From @ref{select-if:res} one can see that there are 56 persons listed in the dataset,
and 17 of them were born after December 31, 1999.

@float Result, select-if:res
@psppoutput {select-if}
@caption {Salary descriptives before and after the @cmd{SELECT IF} transformation.}
@end float

Note that the @file{personnel.sav} file from which the data were read is unaffected.
The transformation affects only the active file.

@node SPLIT FILE
@section SPLIT FILE
@vindex SPLIT FILE

@display
SPLIT FILE [@{LAYERED, SEPARATE@}] BY @var{var_list}.
SPLIT FILE OFF.
@end display

@cmd{SPLIT FILE} allows multiple sets of data present in one data
file to be analyzed separately using single statistical procedure
commands.

Specify a list of variable names to analyze multiple sets of
data separately.  Groups of adjacent cases having the same values for these
variables are analyzed by statistical procedure commands as one group.
An independent analysis is carried out for each group of cases, and the
variable values for the group are printed along with the analysis.

When a list of variable names is specified, one of the keywords
@subcmd{LAYERED} or @subcmd{SEPARATE} may also be specified.  If provided, either
keyword are ignored.

Groups are formed only by @emph{adjacent} cases.  To create a split
using a variable where like values are not adjacent in the working file,
you should first sort the data by that variable (@pxref{SORT CASES}).

Specify @subcmd{OFF} to disable @cmd{SPLIT FILE} and resume analysis of the
entire active dataset as a single group of data.

When @cmd{SPLIT FILE} is specified after @cmd{TEMPORARY}, it affects only
the next procedure (@pxref{TEMPORARY}).

@subsection Example Split

The file @file{horticulture.sav} contains data describing the @exvar{yield}
of a number of horticultural specimens which have been subjected to
various @exvar{treatment}s.   If we wanted to investigate linear statistics
of the @exvar{yeild}, one way to do this is using the @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} (@pxref{DESCRIPTIVES}).
However, it is reasonable to expect the mean to be different depending
on the @exvar{treatment}.   So we might want to perform three separate
procedures --- one for each treatment.
@footnote{There are other, possibly better, ways to achieve a similar result
using the @cmd{MEANS} or @cmd{EXAMINE} commands.}
@ref{split:ex} shows how this can be done automatically using
the @cmd{SPLIT FILE} command.

@float Example, split:ex
@psppsyntax {split.sps}
@caption {Running @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} on each value of @exvar{treatment}}
@end float

In @ref{split:res} you can see that the table of descriptive statistics
appears 3 times --- once for each value of @exvar{treatment}.
In this example @samp{N}, the number of observations are identical in
all splits.  This is because that experiment was deliberately designed
that way.  However in general one can expect a different @samp{N} for each
split.

@float Example, split:res
@psppoutput {split}
@caption {The results of running @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} with an active split}
@end float

Unless @cmd{TEMPORARY} was used, after a split has been defined for
a dataset it remains active until explicitly disabled.
In the graphical user interface, the active split variable (if any) is
displayed in the status bar (@pxref{split-status-bar:scr}.
If a dataset is saved to a system file (@pxref{SAVE}) whilst a split
is active, the split stastus is stored in the file and will be
automatically loaded when that file is loaded.

@float Screenshot, split-status-bar:scr
@psppimage {split-status-bar}
@caption {The status bar indicating that the data set is split using the @exvar{treatment} variable}
@end float


@node TEMPORARY
@section TEMPORARY
@vindex TEMPORARY

@display
TEMPORARY.
@end display

@cmd{TEMPORARY} is used to make the effects of transformations
following its execution temporary.  These transformations
affect only the execution of the next procedure or procedure-like
command.  Their effects are not be saved to the active dataset.

The only specification on @cmd{TEMPORARY} is the command name.

@cmd{TEMPORARY} may not appear within a @cmd{DO IF} or @cmd{LOOP}
construct.  It may appear only once between procedures and
procedure-like commands.

Scratch variables cannot be used following @cmd{TEMPORARY}.

@subsection Example Temporary

In @ref{temporary:ex} there are two @cmd{COMPUTE} transformation.  One
of them immediatly follows a @cmd{TEMPORARY} command, and therefore has
effect only for the next procedure, which in this case is the first
@cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} command.

@float Example, temporary:ex
@psppsyntax {temporary.sps}
@caption {Running a @cmd{COMPUTE} transformation after @cmd{TEMPORARY}}
@end float

The data read by the first @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} procedure are 4, 5, 8,
10.5, 13, 15.  The data read by the second @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} procedure are 1, 2,
5, 7.5, 10, 12.   This is because the second @cmd{COMPUTE} transformation
has no effect on the second @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} procedure.   You can check these
figures in @ref{temporary:res}.

@float Result, temporary:res
@psppoutput {temporary}
@caption {The results of running two consecutive @cmd{DESCRIPTIVES} commands after
         a temporary transformation}
@end float


@node WEIGHT
@section WEIGHT
@vindex WEIGHT

@display
WEIGHT BY @var{var_name}.
WEIGHT OFF.
@end display

@cmd{WEIGHT} assigns cases varying weights,
changing the frequency distribution of the active dataset.  Execution of
@cmd{WEIGHT} is delayed until data have been read.

If a variable name is specified, @cmd{WEIGHT} causes the values of that
variable to be used as weighting factors for subsequent statistical
procedures.  Use of keyword @subcmd{BY} is optional but recommended.  Weighting
variables must be numeric.  Scratch variables may not be used for
weighting (@pxref{Scratch Variables}).

When @subcmd{OFF} is specified, subsequent statistical procedures weight all
cases equally.

A positive integer weighting factor @var{w} on a case yields the
same statistical output as would replicating the case @var{w} times.
A weighting factor of 0 is treated for statistical purposes as if the
case did not exist in the input.  Weighting values need not be
integers, but negative and system-missing values for the weighting
variable are interpreted as weighting factors of 0.  User-missing
values are not treated specially.

When @cmd{WEIGHT} is specified after @cmd{TEMPORARY}, it affects only
the next procedure (@pxref{TEMPORARY}).

@cmd{WEIGHT} does not cause cases in the active dataset to be
replicated in memory.


@subsection Example Weights

One could define a  dataset containing an inventory of stock items.
It would be reasonable to use a string variable for a description of the
item, and a numeric variable for the number in stock, like in @ref{weight:ex}.

@float Example, weight:ex
@psppsyntax {weight.sps}
@caption {Setting the weight on the variable @exvar{quantity}}
@end float

One analysis which most surely would be of interest is
the relative amounts or each item in stock.
However without setting a weight variable, @cmd{FREQUENCIES}
(@pxref{FREQUENCIES}) does not tell us what we want to know, since
there is only one case for each stock item. @ref{weight:res} shows the
difference between the weighted and unweighted frequency tables.

@float Example, weight:res
@psppoutput {weight}
@caption {Weighted and unweighted frequency tables of @exvar{items}}
@end float