Automatically infer variables' measurement level from format and data.

[pspp] / doc / dev / system-file-format.texi

diff --git a/doc/dev/system-file-format.texi b/doc/dev/system-file-format.texi
index a5a89f4ded01672a57c53791d4f81d51ca3bd24f..17f5c1450fa0be9e996e3d47b79c5de6e96c4e34 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/dev/system-file-format.texi
+++ b/doc/dev/system-file-format.texi
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ The value label record has the following format:
 int32               rec_type;
 int32               label_count;
 
-/* @r{Repeated @code{label_cnt} times}. */
+/* @r{Repeated @code{n_label} times}. */
 char                value[8];
 char                label_len;
 char                label[];
@@ -1001,18 +1001,24 @@ members are as follows:
 
 @table @code
 @item int32 measure;
-The measurement type of the variable:
+The measurement level of the variable:
 @table @asis
+@item 0
+Unknown
 @item 1
-Nominal Scale
+Nominal
 @item 2
-Ordinal Scale
+Ordinal
 @item 3
-Continuous Scale
+Scale
 @end table
 
-SPSS sometimes writes a @code{measure} of 0.  PSPP interprets this as
-nominal scale.
+An ``unknown'' @code{measure} of 0 means that the variable was created
+in some way that doesn't make the measurement level clear, e.g.@: with
+a @code{COMPUTE} transformation.  PSPP sets the measurement level the
+first time it reads the data using the rules documented in
+@ref{Measurement Level,,,pspp, PSPP Users Guide}, so this should
+rarely appear.
 
 @item int32 width;
 The width of the display column for the variable in characters.
@@ -1518,7 +1524,8 @@ the following believed meanings:
 
 @table @asis
 @item 5
-A set of grouped variables (according to Aapi H@"am@"al@"ainen).
+A named variable set for use in the GUI (according to Aapi
+H@"am@"al@"ainen).
 
 @item 6
 Date info, probably related to USE (according to Aapi H@"am@"al@"ainen).