+@node VARIABLE ROLE
+@section VARIABLE ROLE
+@vindex VARIABLE ROLE
+@display
+VARIABLE ROLE
+ /@var{role} @var{var_list}
+ [/@var{role} @var{var_list}]@dots{}
+@end display
+
+@cmd{VARIABLE ROLE} sets the intended role of a variable for use in
+dialog boxes in graphical user interfaces. Each @var{role} specifies
+one of the following roles for the variables that follow it:
+
+@table @code
+@item INPUT
+An input variable, such as an independent variable.
+
+@item TARGET
+An output variable, such as an dependent variable.
+
+@item BOTH
+A variable used for input and output.
+
+@item NONE
+No role assigned. (This is a variable's default role.)
+
+@item PARTITION
+Used to break the data into groups for testing.
+
+@item SPLIT
+No meaning except for certain third party software. (This role's
+meaning is unrelated to @cmd{SPLIT FILE}.)
+@end table
+
+The PSPPIRE GUI does not yet use variable roles as intended.
+