@var{string1}
@var{string1}, @var{string2}
@var{string1}, @var{string2}, @var{string3}
-As part of a range, LO or LOWEST may take the place of @var{num1};
-HI or HIGHEST may take the place of @var{num2}.
+As part of a range, @subcmd{LO} or @subcmd{LOWEST} may take the place of @var{num1};
+@subcmd{HI} or @subcmd{HIGHEST} may take the place of @var{num2}.
@end display
@cmd{MISSING VALUES} sets user-missing values for numeric and string
values in parentheses. Up to three discrete values may be given, or,
for numeric variables only, a range of values optionally accompanied by
a single discrete value. Ranges may be open-ended on one end, indicated
-through the use of the keyword LO or LOWEST or HI or HIGHEST.
+through the use of the
+keyword @subcmd{LO} or @subcmd{LOWEST} or @subcmd{HI} or @subcmd{HIGHEST}.
The @cmd{MISSING VALUES} command takes effect immediately. It is not
affected by conditional and looping constructs such as @cmd{DO IF} or
@vindex STRING
@display
-STRING /@var{var_list} (@var{fmt_spec}).
+STRING @var{var_list} (@var{fmt_spec}) [/@var{var_list} (@var{fmt_spec})] [@dots{}].
@end display
@cmd{STRING} creates new string variables for use in
transformations.
-Specify a slash (@samp{/}), followed by the names of the string
-variables to create and the desired output format specification in
-parentheses (@pxref{Input and Output Formats}). Variable widths are
+Specify a list of names for the variable you want to create,
+followed by the desired output format specification in
+parentheses (@pxref{Input and Output Formats}).
+Variable widths are
implicitly derived from the specified output formats.
+The created variables will be initialized to spaces.
+
+If you want to create several variables with distinct
+output formats, you can either use two or more separate @cmd{STRING} commands,
+or you can specify further variable list and format specification pairs, each separated
+from the previous by a slash (@samp{/}).
+
+The following example is one way to create three string variables; Two of the
+variables have format A24 and the other A80:
+@example
+STRING firstname lastname (A24) / address (A80).
+@end example
+
+@noindent Here is another way to achieve the same result:
+@example
+STRING firstname lastname (A24).
+STRING address (A80).
+@end example
+
+@noindent @dots{} and here is yet another way:
+
+@example
+STRING firstname (A24).
+STRING lastname (A24).
+STRING address (A80).
+@end example
+
-Created variables are initialized to spaces.
@node VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE
@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
+that of @cmd{FORMATS} (@pxref{FORMATS}), but @cmd{WRITE FORMATS} sets only
write formats, not print formats.