SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

10 Universals
than 69, use RECODE in the DO IF—END IF structure to selectively recode 0 to a negative
number and declare the negative number as missing:
MISSING VALUES INCOME EXPENSES (-1).
DO IF (AGE>69).
RECODE INCOME EXPENSES (0=-1).
END IF.
COMPUTE PROFILE=INCOME-EXPENSES.
LIST.
In addition, the order of transformations that take effect immediately in the command
sequence can be misleading. Consider the following:
COMPUTE PROFIT=INCOME-EXPENSES.
MISSING VALUES INCOME EXPENSES (0).
LIST.
• COMPUTE precedes MISSING VALUES and is processed first; however, execution is
delayed until the data are being read.
• MISSING VALUES takes effect as soon as it is encountered.
• LIST causes the data to be read; thus, SPSS executes both COMPUTE and LIST during the
same data pass. Because MISSING VALUES is already in effect by this time, all cases with
the value 0 for either INCOME or EXPENSES return a missing value for PROFIT.
To prevent the MISSING VALUES command from taking effect before COMPUTE is executed,
you must position MISSING VALUES after the LIST command. Alternatively, place an
EXECUTE command between COMPUTE and MISSING VALUES.