@chapter Data transformations
@cindex transformations
-The PSPP procedures examined in this chapter manipulate data and
+The @pspp{} procedures examined in this chapter manipulate data and
prepare the active dataset for later analyses. They do not produce output,
as a rule.
variables called @dfn{break variables}. Several functions are available
for summarizing case contents.
-The OUTFILE subcommand is required and must appear first. Specify a
+The @subcmd{OUTFILE} subcommand is required and must appear first. Specify a
system file or portable file by file name or file
handle (@pxref{File Handles}), or a dataset by its name
(@pxref{Datasets}).
The aggregated cases are written to this file. If @samp{*} is
specified, then the aggregated cases replace the active dataset's data.
-Use of OUTFILE to write a portable file is a PSPP extension.
+Use of OUTFILE to write a portable file is a @pspp{} extension.
If OUTFILE=@samp{*} is given, then the subcommand MODE may also be
specified.
PRINT is currently ignored.
-The GROUP subcommand is relevant only if more than one variable is to be
+The @subcmd{GROUP} subcommand is relevant only if more than one variable is to be
recoded. It causes a single mapping between source and target values to
be used, instead of one map per variable.
All variables in the transposed active dataset are numeric. String
variables take on the system-missing value in the transposed file.
-No subcommands are required. If specified, the VARIABLES subcommand
+@subcmd{N} subcommands are required. If specified, the @subcmd{VARIABLES} subcommand
selects variables to be transformed into cases, and variables not
-specified are discarded. If the VARIABLES subcommand is omitted, all
+specified are discarded. If the @subcmd{VARIABLES} subcommand is omitted, all
variables are selected for transposition.
The variables specified by NEWNAMES, which must be a string variable, is
@section RECODE
@vindex RECODE
+The @cmd{RECODE} command is used to transform existing values into other,
+user specified values.
+The general form is:
+
@display
-RECODE var_list (src_value@dots{}=dest_value)@dots{} [INTO var_list].
+RECODE @var{src_vars}
+ (@var{src_value} @var{src_value} @dots{} = @var{dest_value})
+ (@var{src_value} @var{src_value} @dots{} = @var{dest_value})
+ (@var{src_value} @var{src_value} @dots{} = @var{dest_value}) @dots{}
+ [INTO @var{dest_vars}].
+@end display
-src_value may take the following forms:
- number
- string
- num1 THRU num2
- MISSING
- SYSMIS
- ELSE
-Open-ended ranges may be specified using LO or LOWEST for num1
-or HI or HIGHEST for num2.
+Following the RECODE keyword itself comes @var{src_vars} which is a list
+of variables whose values are to be transformed.
+These variables may be string variables or they may be numeric.
+However the list must be homogeneous; you may not mix string variables and
+numeric variables in the same recoding.
+
+After the list of source variables, there should be one or more @dfn{mappings}.
+Each mapping is enclosed in parentheses, and contains the source values and
+a destination value separated by a single @samp{=}.
+The source values are used to specify the values in the dataset which
+need to change, and the destination value specifies the new value
+to which they should be changed.
+Each @var{src_value} may take one of the following forms:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @var{number}
+If the source variables are numeric then @var{src_value} may be a literal
+number.
+@item @var{string}
+If the source variables are string variables then @var{src_value} may be a
+literal string (like all strings, enclosed in single or double quotes).
+@item @var{num1} THRU @var{num2}
+This form is valid only when the source variables are numeric.
+It specifies all values in the range [@var{num1}, @var{num2}].
+Normally you would ensure that @var{num2} is greater than or equal to
+@var{num1}.
+If @var{num1} however is greater than @var{num2}, then the range
+[@var{num2},@var{num1}] will be used instead.
+Open-ended ranges may be specified using @samp{LO} or @samp{LOWEST}
+for @var{num1}
+or @samp{HI} or @samp{HIGHEST} for @var{num2}.
+@item @samp{MISSING}
+The literal keyword @samp{MISSING} matches both system missing and user
+missing values.
+It is valid for both numeric and string variables.
+@item @samp{SYSMIS}
+The literal keyword @samp{SYSMIS} matches system missing
+values.
+It is valid for both numeric variables only.
+@item @samp{ELSE}
+The @samp{ELSE} keyword may be used to match any values which are
+not matched by any other @var{src_value} appearing in the command.
+If this keyword appears, it should be used in the last mapping of the
+command.
+@end itemize
-dest_value may take the following forms:
- num
- string
- SYSMIS
- COPY
-@end display
+After the source variables comes an @samp{=} and then the @var{dest_value}.
+The @var{dest_value} may take any of the following forms:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @var{number}
+A literal numeric value to which the source values should be changed.
+This implies the destination variable must be numeric.
+@item @var{string}
+A literal string value (enclosed in quotation marks) to which the source
+values should be changed.
+This implies the destination variable must be a string variable.
+@item @samp{SYSMIS}
+The keyword @samp{SYSMIS} changes the value to the system missing value.
+This implies the destination variable must be numeric.
+@item @samp{COPY}
+The special keyword @samp{COPY} means that the source value should not be
+modified, but
+copied directly to the destination value.
+This is meaningful only if @samp{INTO @var{dest_vars}} is specified.
+@end itemize
-@cmd{RECODE} translates data from one range of values to
-another, via flexible user-specified mappings. Data may be remapped
-in-place or copied to new variables. Numeric and
-string data can be recoded.
-
-Specify the list of source variables, followed by one or more mapping
-specifications each enclosed in parentheses. If the data is to be
-copied to new variables, specify INTO, then the list of target
-variables. String target variables must already have been declared
-using @cmd{STRING} or another transformation, but numeric target
-variables can
-be created on the fly. There must be exactly as many target variables
-as source variables. Each source variable is remapped into its
-corresponding target variable.
-
-When INTO is not used, the input and output variables must be of the
-same type. Otherwise, string values can be recoded into numeric values,
-and vice versa. When this is done and there is no mapping for a
-particular value, either a value consisting of all spaces or the
-system-missing value is assigned, depending on variable type.
-
-Mappings are considered from left to right. The first src_value that
-matches the value of the source variable causes the target variable to
-receive the value indicated by the dest_value. Literal number, string,
-and range src_value's should be self-explanatory. MISSING as a
-src_value matches any user- or system-missing value. SYSMIS matches the
-system missing value only. ELSE is a catch-all that matches anything.
-It should be the last src_value specified.
-
-Numeric and string dest_value's should be self-explanatory. COPY
-causes the input values to be copied to the output. This is only valid
-if the source and target variables are of the same type. SYSMIS
-indicates the system-missing value.
-
-If the source variables are strings and the target variables are
-numeric, then there is one additional mapping available: (CONVERT),
-which must be the last specified mapping. CONVERT causes a number
-specified as a string to be converted to a numeric value. If the string
-cannot be parsed as a number, then the system-missing value is assigned.
-
-Multiple recodings can be specified on a single @cmd{RECODE} invocation.
+Mappings are considered from left to right.
+Therefore, if a value is matched by a @var{src_value} from more than
+one mapping, the first (leftmost) mapping which matches will be considered.
+Any subsequent matches will be ignored.
+
+The clause @samp{INTO @var{dest_vars}} is optional.
+The behaviour of the command is slightly different depending on whether it
+appears or not.
+
+If @samp{INTO @var{dest_vars}} does not appear, then values will be recoded
+``in place´´. This means that the recoded values are written back to the
+source variables from whence the original values came.
+In this case, the @var{dest_value} for every mapping must imply a value which
+has the same type as the @var{src_value}.
+For example, if the source value is a string value, it is not permissible for
+@var{dest_value} to be @samp{SYSMIS} or another forms which implies a numeric
+result.
+The following example two numeric variables @var{x} and @var{y} are recoded
+in place.
+Zero is recoded to 99, the values 1 to 10 inclusive are unchanged,
+values 1000 and higher are recoded to the system-missing value and all other
+values are changed to 999:
+@example
+recode @var{x} @var{y}
+ (0 = 99)
+ (1 THRU 10 = COPY)
+ (1000 THRU HIGHEST = SYSMIS)
+ (ELSE = 999).
+@end example
+
+If @samp{INTO @var{dest_vars}} is given, then recoded values are written
+into the variables specified in @var{dest_vars}, which must therefore
+ contain a list of valid variable names.
+The number of variables in @var{dest_vars} must be the same as the number
+of variables in @var{src_vars}
+and the respective order of the variables in @var{dest_vars} corresponds to
+the order of @var{src_vars}.
+That is to say, recoded values whose
+original value came from the @var{n}th variable in @var{src_vars} will be
+placed into the @var{n}th variable in @var{dest_vars}.
+The source variables will be unchanged.
+If any mapping implies a string as its destination value, then the respective
+destination variable must already exist, or
+have been declared using @cmd{STRING} or another transformation.
+Numeric variables however will be automatically created if they don't already
+exist.
+The following example deals with two source variables, @var{a} and @var{b}
+which contain string values. Hence there are two destination variables
+@var{v1} and @var{v2}.
+Any cases where @var{a} or @var{b} contain the values @samp{apple},
+@samp{pear} or @samp{pomegranate} will result in @var{v1} or @var{v2} being
+filled with the string @samp{fruit} whilst cases with
+@samp{tomato}, @samp{lettuce} or @samp{carrot} will result in @samp{vegetable}.
+Any other values will produce the result @samp{unknown}:
+@example
+string @var{v1} (a20).
+string @var{v2} (a20).
+
+recode @var{a} @var{b}
+ ("apple" "pear" "pomegranate" = "fruit")
+ ("tomato" "lettuce" "carrot" = "vegetable")
+ (ELSE = "unknown")
+ into @var{v1} @var{v2}.
+@end example
+
+There is one very special mapping, not mentioned above.
+If the source variable is a string variable
+then a mapping may be specified as @samp{(CONVERT)}.
+This mapping, if it appears must be the last mapping given and
+the @samp{INTO @var{dest_vars}} clause must also be given and
+must not refer to a string variable.
+@samp{CONVERT} causes a number specified as a string to
+be converted to a numeric value.
+For example it will convert the string @samp{"3"} into the numeric
+value 3 (note that it will not convert @samp{three} into 3).
+If the string cannot be parsed as a number, then the system-missing value
+is assigned instead.
+In the following example, cases where the value of @var{x} (a string variable)
+is the empty string, are recoded to 999 and all others are converted to the
+numeric equivalent of the input value. The results are placed into the
+numeric variable @var{y}:
+@example
+recode @var{x}
+ ("" = 999)
+ (convert)
+ into @var{y}.
+@end example
+
+It is possible to specify multiple recodings on a single command.
Introduce additional recodings with a slash (@samp{/}) to
-separate them from the previous recodings.
+separate them from the previous recodings:
+@example
+recode
+ @var{a} (2 = 22) (else = 99)
+ /@var{b} (1 = 3) into @var{z}
+ .
+@end example
+@noindent Here we have two recodings. The first affects the source variable
+@var{a} and recodes in-place the value 2 into 22 and all other values to 99.
+The second recoding copies the values of @var{b} into the the variable @var{z},
+changing any instances of 1 into 3.
@node SORT CASES
@section SORT CASES