@node Variable Attributes
@chapter Manipulating variables
-The variables in the active file dictionary are important. There are
+The variables in the active dataset dictionary are important. There are
several utility functions for examining and adjusting them.
@menu
* ADD VALUE LABELS:: Add value labels to variables.
* DELETE VARIABLES:: Delete variables.
-* DISPLAY:: Display information about the active file.
+* DISPLAY:: Display information about the active dataset.
* FORMATS:: Set print and write formats.
* LEAVE:: Don't clear variables between cases.
* MISSING VALUES:: Set missing values for variables.
DISPLAY [SORTED] VECTORS.
@end display
-@cmd{DISPLAY} displays information about the active file. A variety
+@cmd{DISPLAY} displays information about the active dataset. A variety
of different forms of information can be requested.
The following keywords primarily cause information about variables to
be displayed. With these keywords, by default information is
-displayed about all variable in the active file, in the order that
-variables occur in the active file dictionary. The SORTED keyword
+displayed about all variable in the active dataset, in the order that
+variables occur in the active dataset dictionary. The SORTED keyword
causes output to be sorted alphabetically by variable name. The
VARIABLES subcommand limits output to the specified variables.
@item INDEX
The variables' names are displayed along with a value describing their
-position within the active file dictionary.
+position within the active dataset dictionary.
@item LABELS
Variable names, positions, and variable labels are displayed.
@vindex FORMATS
@display
-FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec).
+FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec) [var_list (fmt_spec)]@dots{}.
@end display
@cmd{FORMATS} set both print and write formats for the specified
-numeric variables to the specified format specification.
+variables to the specified format specification.
@xref{Input and Output Formats}.
Specify a list of variables followed by a format specification in
parentheses. The print and write formats of the specified variables
-will be changed.
+will be changed. All of the variables listed together must have
+the same type and, for string variables, the same width.
-Additional lists of variables and formats may be included if they are
-delimited by a slash (@samp{/}).
+Additional lists of variables and formats may be included following
+the first one.
@cmd{FORMATS} takes effect immediately. It is not affected by
conditional and looping structures such as @cmd{DO IF} or @cmd{LOOP}.
reinitialized whenever a new case is processed.
Normally, when a data file is processed, every variable in the active
-file is initialized to the system-missing value or spaces at the
+dataset is initialized to the system-missing value or spaces at the
beginning of processing for each case. When a variable has been
specified on @cmd{LEAVE}, this is not the case. Instead, that variable is
initialized to 0 (not system-missing) or spaces for the first case.
@end display
@cmd{MODIFY VARS} reorders, renames, and deletes variables in the
-active file.
+active dataset.
At least one subcommand must be specified, and no subcommand may be
specified more than once. DROP and KEEP may not both be specified.
The REORDER subcommand changes the order of variables in the active
-file. Specify one or more lists of variable names in parentheses. By
+dataset. Specify one or more lists of variable names in parentheses. By
default, each list of variables is rearranged into the specified order.
To put the variables into the reverse of the specified order, put
keyword BACKWARD before the parentheses. To put them into alphabetical
order in the dictionary, specify keyword ALPHA before the parentheses.
BACKWARD and ALPHA may also be combined.
-To rename variables in the active file, specify RENAME, an equals sign
+To rename variables in the active dataset, specify RENAME, an equals sign
(@samp{=}), and lists of the old variable names and new variable names
separated by another equals sign within parentheses. There must be the
same number of old and new variable names. Each old variable is renamed to
variables may be specified.
The DROP subcommand deletes a specified list of variables from the
-active file.
+active dataset.
The KEEP subcommand keeps the specified list of variables in the active
-file. Any unlisted variables are deleted from the active file.
+dataset. Any unlisted variables are deleted from the active dataset.
MAP is currently ignored.
@vindex PRINT FORMATS
@display
-PRINT FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec).
+PRINT FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec) [var_list (fmt_spec)]@dots{}.
@end display
@cmd{PRINT FORMATS} sets the print formats for the specified
-numeric variables to the specified format specification.
+variables to the specified format specification.
Its syntax is identical to that of @cmd{FORMATS} (@pxref{FORMATS}),
but @cmd{PRINT FORMATS} sets only print formats, not write formats.
@end display
@cmd{RENAME VARIABLES} changes the names of variables in the active
-file. Specify lists of the old variable names and new
+dataset. Specify lists of the old variable names and new
variable names, separated by an equals sign (@samp{=}), within
parentheses. There must be the same number of old and new variable
names. Each old variable is renamed to the corresponding new variable
variable names after a slash (@samp{/}), followed by a list of values
and their associated labels, separated by spaces.
+Value labels in output are normally broken into lines automatically.
+Put @samp{\n} in a label string to force a line break at that point.
+The label may still be broken into lines at additional points.
+
Before @cmd{VALUE LABELS} is executed, any existing value labels
are cleared from the variables specified. Use @cmd{ADD VALUE LABELS}
(@pxref{ADD VALUE LABELS}) to add value labels without clearing those
@end display
@cmd{VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE} adds, modifies, or removes user-defined
-attributes associated with variables in the active file. Custom
+attributes associated with variables in the active dataset. Custom
variable attributes are not interpreted by PSPP, but they are saved as
part of system files and may be used by other software that reads
them.
the latter case, all the array elements numbered higher than the
deleted element are shifted down, filling the vacated position.
-To associate custom attributes with the entire active file, instead of
+To associate custom attributes with the entire active dataset, instead of
with particular variables, use @cmd{DATAFILE ATTRIBUTE} (@pxref{DATAFILE ATTRIBUTE}) instead.
@cmd{VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE} takes effect immediately. It is not affected
@vindex WRITE FORMATS
@display
-WRITE FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec).
+WRITE FORMATS var_list (fmt_spec) [var_list (fmt_spec)]@dots{}.
@end display
-@cmd{WRITE FORMATS} sets the write formats for the specified numeric
-variables
+@cmd{WRITE FORMATS} sets the write formats for the specified variables
to the specified format specification. Its syntax is identical to
that of FORMATS (@pxref{FORMATS}), but @cmd{WRITE FORMATS} sets only
write formats, not print formats.
projects / pspp / blobdiff