SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

978 MCONVERT
• If there are multiple CORR or COV matrices (for example, one for each grouping (factor)
or one for each split variable), each will be converted to a separate matrix, preserving the
values of any factor or split variables.
• All cases with ROWTYPE_ values other than CORR or COV, such as MEAN, N, and
STDDEV, are always copied into the new matrix data file.
• MCONVERT cannot read raw matrix values. If your data are raw values, use the MATRIX
DATA command.
• Split variables (if any) must occur first in the file that MCONVERT reads, followed by the
variable ROWTYPE_, the grouping variables (if any), and the variable VARNAME_. All variables
following VARNAME_ are the variables for which a matrix will be read and created.
Limitations
Example
• The total number of split variables plus grouping variables cannot exceed eight.
MATRIX DATA VARIABLES=ROWTYPE_ SAVINGS POP15 POP75 INCOME GROWTH
/FORMAT=FULL.
BEGIN DATA
COV 20.0740459 -18.678638 1.8304990 978.181242 3.9190106
COV -18.678638 83.7541100 -10.731666 -6856.9888 -1.2561071
COV 1.8304990 -10.731666 1.6660908 1006.52742 .0937992
COV 978.181242 -6856.9888 1006.52742 981785.907 -368.18652
COV 3.9190106 -1.2561071 .0937992 -368.18652 8.2361574
END DATA.
MCONVERT.
• MATRIX DATA defines the variables in the file and creates a working data file of matrix
materials. The values for the variable ROWTYPE_ are COV, indicating that the matrix
contains covariance coefficients. The FORMAT subcommand indicates that data are in full
square format.
• MCONVERT converts the covariance matrix to a correlation matrix plus a vector of standard
deviations. By default, the converted matrix is written to the working data file.
MATRIX Subcommand
The MATRIX subcommand specifies the file for the matrix materials. By default, MATRIX
reads the original matrix from the working data file and replaces the working data file with
the converted matrix.
• MATRIX has two keywords, IN and OUT. The specification on both IN and OUT is the name
of an external file in parentheses or an asterisk (*) to refer to the working data file (the
default).
• The actual keyword MATRIX is optional.
• IN and OUT cannot specify the same external file.