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SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

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1390 REPEATING DATA<br />

• The DATA LIST command used with REPEATING DATA must define all fixed-format data<br />

for the records.<br />

• Repeating groups are usually recorded at the end of the fixed-format records, but fixedformat<br />

data may follow the repeating data in data structures such as IBM SMF and RMF<br />

records. Use the following sequence in such cases.<br />

DATA LIST .../* Read the fixed-format data before repeating data<br />

REREAD COLUMNS= .../* Skip repeating data<br />

DATA LIST .../* Read the fixed-format data after repeating data<br />

REPEATING DATA ... /*Read repeating data<br />

Operations<br />

• Fixed-location data specified on the DATA LIST are spread to each output case.<br />

• If LENGTH is not specified, the program uses the default length for repeating data groups,<br />

which is determined from specifications on the DATA subcommand. For more information<br />

on the default length, see the LENGTH subcommand on p. 1397.<br />

Cases Generated<br />

• The number of output cases generated is the number specified on the OCCURS subcommand.<br />

Physical record length or whether fields are non-blank does not affect the number<br />

of cases generated.<br />

• If the number specified for OCCURS is nonpositive or missing, no cases are generated.<br />

Records Read<br />

• If CONTINUED is not specified, all repeating groups are read from the first record of each<br />

input case.<br />

• If CONTINUED is specified, the first continuation record is read when the first record for<br />

the input case is exhausted, that is, when the next repeating group would extend past the<br />

end of the record. The ending column for the first record is defined on STARTS. If the<br />

ending column is not specified on STARTS, the logical record length is used (see below).<br />

• Subsequent continuation records are read when the current continuation record is<br />

exhausted. Exhaustion of the current continuation record is detected when the next<br />

repeating group would extend past the end of the record. The ending column for continuation<br />

records is defined on CONTINUED. If the ending column is not specified on<br />

CONTINUED, the logical record length is used (see below).<br />

• For inline data, the record length is always 80. For data stored in a file, the record length<br />

is generally whatever was specified on the FILE HANDLE command or the default of 1024.<br />

Shorter records are extended with blanks when they are read. For IBM implementations,<br />

the physical record length is available and is used.

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