SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

1400 REPEATING DATA
in positions 1–20 of each repeating group, followed by a blank. Thus, each repeating
group is 21 columns wide. The length of the first record of each input case is therefore 51
columns: 21 columns for each of two repeating groups, plus the eight columns defined on
DATA LIST, plus column 9, which is blank. The operating system’s logical record length
is 80, which allows room for one more repeating group on the first record of each input
case. STARTS must therefore specify an ending column that does not provide enough
columns for another repeating group; otherwise, the program creates an output case with
missing values for the variables specified on DATA.
• STARTS specifies that the program is to scan only columns 10–55 of the first record of
each input case looking for repeating data groups. It will scan continuation records beginning
in column 7 until the value specified on the OCCURS subcommand is reached.
Example
* Specifying an ending column on the CONTINUED subcommand.
* This example assumes the logical record length is 80.
INPUT PROGRAM.
DATA LIST / ORDERID 1-5 NITEMS 7-8.
REPEATING DATA STARTS=10-55 /OCCURS=NITEMS /CONTINUED=7-55
/DATA=ITEM 1-9 (A) QUANTITY 11-13 PRICE (DOLLAR7.2,1X).
END INPUT PROGRAM.
BEGIN DATA
10020 07 01-923-89 001 25.99 02-899-56 100 101.99
10020 03-574-54 064 61.29 04-780-32 025 13.95
10020 05-756-90 005 56.75 06-323-47 003 23.74
10020 07-350-95 014 11.46
20030 04 01-781-43 010 10.97 89-236-54 075 105.95
20030 03-655-83 054
END DATA.
LIST.
22.99 04-569-38 015 75.00
• The data are the same as in the previous two examples, but records are entered differently.
The first record and the continuation records for each input case store only two repeating
groups each.
• The operating system’s logical record length is 80, which allows room for more repeating
groups on all records.
• STARTS specifies that the program is to scan only columns 10-55 of the first record of
each input case looking for repeating data groups.
• CONTINUED specifies that the program is to scan only columns 7–55 of all continuation
records.
ID Subcommand
ID compares the value of an identification variable across records of the same input case. ID
can be used only when CONTINUED is specified. The identification variable must be defined
on a DATA LIST command and must be recorded on all records in the file.