SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

1392 REPEATING DATA
Example
Figure 1 Output cases built with REPEATING DATA
SEQNUM NUMPERS NUMVEH MAKE MODEL NUMCYL
1 2 2 FORD T 8
1 2 2 PONTIAC C 6
2 4 1 CHEVY C 4
3 2 3 CADILAC C 8
3 2 3 FORD T 6
3 2 3 VW C 4
NUMBER OF CASES READ = 6 NUMBER OF CASES LISTED = 6
* Use REPEATING DATA with FILE TYPE MIXED: read only type 3 records.
FILE TYPE MIXED RECORD=#SEQNUM 2-4.
RECORD TYPE 003.
REPEATING DATA STARTS=12 /OCCURS=3
/DATA=MAKE 1-8(A) MODEL 9(A) NUMCYL 10.
END FILE.
END FILE TYPE.
BEGIN DATA
1001 02 02 FORD T8PONTIAC C6
1002 04 01 CHEVY C4
1003 02 03 CADILAC C8FORD T6VW C4
END DATA.
LIST.
• The task in this example is to read only the repeating data for records with value 003 for
variable #SEQNUM.
• REPEATING DATA is used within a FILE TYPE structure, which specifies a mixed file type.
The record identification variable #SEQNUM is located in columns 2–4.
• RECORD TYPE specifies that only records with value 003 for #SEQNUM are copied into
the working data file. All other records are skipped.
• REPEATING DATA indicates that the repeating groups start in column 12. The OCCURS
subcommand indicates there are three repeating groups on each input case, and the DATA
subcommand specifies names, locations, and formats for the variables in the repeating
groups.
• The DATA LIST command is not required in this example, since none of the information
on the input case is being spread to the output cases. However, if there were multiple
input cases with value 003 for #SEQNUM and they did not all have three repeating
groups, DATA LIST would be required to define a variable whose value for each input
case indicated the number of repeating groups for that case. This variable would then
be specified on the OCCURS subcommand.