SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

1336 RECODE
• SYSMIS specifies the system-missing value and can be used as both an original value and
a new value.
• See “Syntax Rules” above for a description of ELSE and COPY.
String Variables
• Keywords that can be used in the list of original values are CONVERT and ELSE. The only
keyword that can be used in place of a new value is COPY. See p. 1338 for a description
of CONVERT, and “Syntax Rules” on p. 1335 for a description of ELSE and COPY.
• Both short and long string variables can be recoded.
• Values must be enclosed in apostrophes or quotation marks.
• Blanks are significant characters.
Operations
• Value specifications are scanned left to right.
• A value is recoded only once per RECODE command.
• Invalid specifications on a RECODE command that result in errors stop all processing of
that RECODE command. No variables are recoded.
Numeric Variables
• Blank fields for numeric variables are handled according to the SET BLANKS specification
prior to recoding.
• When you recode a value that was previously defined as user-missing on the MISSING
VALUE command, the new value is not missing.
String Variables
Example
• If the original or new value specified is shorter than the format width defined for the variable,
the string is right-padded with blanks.
• If the original or recoded value specified is longer than the format width defined for that
variable, the program issues an error message and RECODE is not executed.
RECODE V1 TO V3 (0=1) (1=0) (2,3=-1) (9=9) (ELSE=SYSMIS)
/QVAR(1 THRU 5=1)(6 THRU 10=2)(11 THRU HI=3)(ELSE=0).
• The numeric variables between and including V1 and V3 are recoded: original values 0
and 1 are switched respectively to 1 and 0; 2 and 3 are changed to −1; 9 remains 9; and
any other value is changed to the system-missing value.