SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

Defining Complex Files 1715
• DATA defines variables that are repeated. Since #NUM is 3 in the first and third
records, the program reads three sets of STUDENT and SCORE variables in these
records. STUDENT and SCORE are read twice in record 2.
• END INPUT PROGRAM signals the end of data definition.
• Data appear between BEGIN DATA and END DATA.
• Figure C.11 shows the output from LIST.
Figure C.11 LIST output
CLASS STUDENT SCORE
101 182 12
101 134 53
101 199 30
102 99 112
103 15 87
If your data file does not have a variable indicating the number of repeating data groups
per record, you can use the LOOP and REREAD commands to read the data, as in:
INPUT PROGRAM.
DATA LIST / CLASS 3-5 #ALL 6-29 (A).
LEAVE CLASS.
LOOP #I = 1 TO 17 BY 8 IF SUBSTR(#ALL, #I, 8) NE ’’.
- REREAD COLUMN = #I + 5.
- DATA LIST / STUDENT 1-4 SCORE 5-8.
- END CASE.
END LOOP.
END INPUT PROGRAM.
BEGIN DATA
101 182 12 134 53 199 30
102 99 112 200 150
103 15 87
END DATA.
LIST.
• INPUT PROGRAM signals the beginning of data definition.
• DATA LIST reads CLASS and #ALL, a temporary string variable that contains all of
the repeating data groups for a classroom record. The column specifications for #ALL
(6 through 29) are wide enough to accommodate the classroom record with the most
repeating data groups (record 1).
• LOOP and END LOOP define an index loop. As the loop iterates, the program successively
reads eight-character segments of #ALL, each of which contains a repeating
data group or an empty field. The program reads the first eight characters of #ALL in
the first iteration, the second eight characters in the second iteration, and so forth.