SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

SORT CASES
SORT CASES [BY] varlist[({A})] [varlist...]
{D}
Example
SORT CASES BY DIVISION (A) STORE (D).
Overview
SORT CASES reorders the sequence of cases in the working data file based on the values of
one or more variables. You can optionally sort cases in ascending or descending order, or
use combinations of ascending and descending order for different variables.
Basic Specification
The basic specification is a variable or list of variables that are used as sort keys. By default,
cases are sorted in ascending order of each variable, starting with the first variable named.
For each subsequent variable, cases are sorted in ascending order within categories of the
previously named variables.
Syntax Rules
• Keyword BY is optional.
• BY variables can be numeric or string but not scratch, system, or temporary variables.
• You can explicitly request the default sort order (ascending) by specifying A or UP in
parentheses after the variable name. To sort cases in descending order, specify D or
DOWN.
• An order specification (A or D) applies to all variables in the list up to the previous order
specification. If you combine ascending and descending order on the same SORT CASES
command, you may need to specify the default A explicitly.
Operations
• SORT CASES first sorts the file according to the first variable named. For subsequent
variables, cases are sorted within categories of the previously named variables.
• The sort sequence of string variables depends on the character set in use on your system.
With EBCDIC character sets, most special characters are sorted first, followed by lowercase
alphabetical characters, uppercase alphabetical characters, and, finally, numbers. The
order is almost exactly reversed with ASCII character sets. Numbers are sorted first, followed
by uppercase alphabetical characters and then lowercase alphabetical characters. In
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