SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

BREAK
BREAK
Overview
BREAK controls looping that cannot be fully controlled with IF clauses. Generally, BREAK
is used within a DO IF—END IF structure. The expression on the DO IF command specifies
the condition in which BREAK is executed.
Basic Specification
• The only specification is keyword BREAK. There are no additional specifications.
• BREAK must be specified within a loop structure. Otherwise, an error results.
Operations
Example
• A BREAK command inside a loop structure but not inside a DO IF—END IF structure
terminates the first iteration of the loop for all cases, since no conditions for BREAK
are specified.
• A BREAK command within an inner loop terminates only iterations in that structure, not
in any outer loop structures.
VECTOR #X(10).
LOOP
+ DATA LIST
#I = 1 TO #NREC.
NOTABLE/ #X1 TO #X10 1-20.
+ LOOP #J = 1 TO 10.
+ DO IF SYSMIS(#X(#J)).
+ BREAK.
+ END IF.
+ COMPUTE X = #X(#J).
+ END CASE.
+ END LOOP.
END LOOP.
• The inner loop terminates when there is a system-missing value for any of the variables
#X1 to #X10.
• The outer loop continues until all records are read.
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