SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

SIZE Specification
MATRIX—END MATRIX 943
The SIZE specification is a matrix expression that, when evaluated, specifies the size of the
matrix to be read.
• The expression should evaluate to a two-element row or column vector. The first element
designates the number of rows in the matrix to be read; the second element gives the number
of columns.
• Values of the SIZE specification are truncated to integers if necessary.
• The size expression may be a constant, such as {5;5}, or a matrix variable name, such as
MSIZE, or any valid expression, such as INFO(1,:).
• If you use a scalar as the size expression, a column vector containing that number of rows
is read. Thus, SIZE=1 reads a scalar, and SIZE=3 reads a 3 × 1 column vector.
You must include a SIZE specification whenever you name an entire matrix (rather than a
submatrix) on the READ statement. If you specify a submatrix, the SIZE specification is optional
but, if included, must agree with the size of the specified submatrix.
MODE Specification
MODE specifies the format of the matrix to be read in. It can be either rectangular or symmetric.
If the MODE specification is omitted, the default is RECTANGULAR.
RECTANGULAR Matrix is completely represented in file. Each row begins on a new record,
and all entries in that row are present on that and (possibly) succeeding
records. This is the default if the MODE specification is omitted.
SYMMETRIC Elements of the matrix below the main diagonal are the same as those above
it. Only matrix elements on and below the main diagonal are read; elements
above the diagonal are set equal to the corresponding symmetric elements
below the diagonal. Each row is read beginning on a new record, although it
may span more than one record. Only a single value is read from the first
record, two values are read from the second, and so on.
• If SYMMETRIC is specified, the matrix processor first checks that the number of rows and
the number of columns are the same. If the numbers, specified either on SIZE or on the variable
reference, are not the same, an error message is displayed and the command is not
executed.
REREAD Specification
The REREAD specification indicates that the current READ statement should begin with the
last record read by a previous READ statement.
• REREAD has no further specifications.
• REREAD cannot be used on the first READ statement to read from a file.
• If you omit REREAD, the READ statement begins with the first record following the last one
read by the previous READ statement.
• The REREAD specification is ignored on the first READ statement following a call to the
EOF function for the same file.