SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

DATA LIST 427
• For freefield data, variables are located according to the sequence in which they are
named on DATA LIST. The order of variables on DATA LIST must correspond to the order
of variables in the data.
• To include decimal positions in the format for fixed-format data, specify the total width
followed by a decimal point and the number of decimal positions. For example, (DOLLAR5)
specifies a five-column DOLLAR format without decimal positions; (DOLLAR5.2) specifies
a five-column DOLLAR format, two columns of which are decimal positions.
Numeric Formats
• Format specifications on DATA LIST are input formats. Based on the width specification
and format type, the program generates output (print and write) formats for each variable.
The program automatically expands the output format to accommodate punctuation characters
such as decimal points, commas, dollar signs, or date and time delimiters. (The
program does not automatically expand the output formats you assign on the FORMATS,
PRINT FORMATS, and WRITE FORMATS commands. For information on assigning output
formats, refer to these commands.)
• Scientific notation is accepted in input data with F, COMMA, DOLLAR, DOT, and PCT
formats. The same rules apply to these formats as to E format. The values 1.234E3,
1.234+3, and 1.234E 3 are all legitimate. The last value (with a blank space) will
cause freefield data to be misread and therefore should be avoided when LIST or FREE
is specified.
Implied Decimal Positions
• For fixed-format data, decimal positions can be coded in the data or implied by the
format. If decimal positions are implied but are not entered in the data, the program interprets
the rightmost digits in each value as the decimal digits. A coded decimal point in a
value overrides the number of implied decimal places. For example, (DOLLAR,2) specifies
two decimal positions. The value 123 is interpreted as 1.23; however, the value 12.3 is
interpreted as 12.3 because the coded decimal position overrides the number of implied
decimal positions.
• For freefield data, decimal positions cannot be implied but must be coded in the data. If
decimal positions are specified in the format but a data value does not include a decimal
point, the program fills the decimal places with zeros. For example, with F3.1 format
(three columns with one decimal place), the value 22 is displayed as 22.0. If a value in the
data has more decimal digits than are specified in the format, the additional decimals are
truncated in displayed output (but not in calculations). For example, with F3.1 format, the
value 2.22 is displayed as 2.2 even though in calculations it remains 2.22.
Table 1 compares how values are interpreted for fixed and freefield formats. Values in the
table are for a four-column numeric variable.