Vivian, you can use the stringfunction INDEX, which searches for a string in another string; if found the function returns the position of the occurence of the first matching character, if not found (and in your case, the solution) it returns 0 (zero). An example:

COMPUTE english = INDEX(UPCASE(course),"ENGL").

The new variable english is zero, if course has not the frase "ENGL" in it and more than zero if it has. I added the function UPCASE (put all letters in uppercase); now it works also, if course is *Engl* or *engl*.

Nico van Ruyven Fac. of Psychology University of Amsterdam

Vivian Calderon wrote: > > Is there syntax that would allow me to search characters within a field? > I've got almost 200,000 enrollment records (from 1 to 60 records per ID, > multiple records) and I want to cut out the English courses. > > Since the records originate from different colleges, the course title > layouts vary, but somewhere in the 12 character string variable "course" is > the description "ENGL". > > I guess I'm asking if I can use a wild card to search for ENGL*, *ENGL, OR > *ENGL*. > > Thanks in advance, > Vivian > > Vivian Calderon, Ph.D. > Manager, Research and Assessment > Puente Project > University of California > Office of the President > 1-510-987-9037 > ..............................