SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

Example
Example
* Macro without arguments: Specify a group of variables.
DEFINE sesvars ()
age sex educ religion.
!ENDDEFINE.
DEFINE—!ENDDEFINE 443
FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=sesvars.
• The macro name is sesvars. Because the parentheses are empty, sesvars has no arguments.
The macro body defines four variables: AGE, SEX, EDUC, and RELIGION.
• The macro call is specified on FREQUENCIES. When the call is executed, sesvars is
expanded into the variables AGE, SEX, EDUC, and RELIGION.
• After the macro expansion, FREQUENCIES is executed.
* Macro without arguments: Repeat a sequence of commands.
DATA LIST FILE = MAC4D /GROUP 1 REACTIME 3-5 ACCURACY 7-9.
VALUE LABELS GROUP 1’normal’
2’learning disabled’.
* Macro definition.
DEFINE check ()
split file by group.
frequencies variables = reactime accuracy
/histogram.
descriptives reactime accuracy.
list.
split file off.
regression variables = group reactime accuracy
/dependent = accuracy
/enter
/scatterplot (reactime, accuracy).
!ENDDEFINE.
check. /* First call of defined macro check
COMPUTE REACTIME = SQRT (REACTIME).
COMPUTE ACCURACY = SQRT (ACCURACY).
check. /* Second call of defined macro check
COMPUTE REACTIME = lg10 (REACTIME * REACTIME).
COMPUTE ACCURACY = lg10 (ACCURACY * ACCURACY).
check. /* Third call of defined macro check
• The name of the macro is CHECK. The empty parentheses indicate that there are no arguments
to the macro.
• The macro definition (between DEFINE and !ENDDEFINE) contains the command
sequence to be repeated: SPLIT FILE, FREQUENCIES, DESCRIPTIVES, LIST, SPLIT FILE,
and REGRESSION.