At 05:49 AM 4/19/2004, Kamau, Patrick wrote:

>I have a variable called 'return visits' that takes care of clients >who have come for another visit. For the initial visit, return >visit=0 and subsequent returns visits=1. > >I would like to have increasing numbers showing the real return, using >the date or month, i.e. >First visit =0 >Second visit =1 >Third visit =2 etc. >Your help will be appreciated.

Jan Spousta had one interpretation of this. Here's a different one; is this what you were looking for? It does NOT use your original "return visit" variable at all.

Assuming . Client is identified by a variable named CLIENTID . Visit date is an SPSS date variable, VIS_DATE. . Your file is the SPSS working data file

/* The SORT is not necessary if your data is already sorted */ SORT CASES BY CLIENTID VIS_DATE.

NUMERIC RTRN_VIS (F2). VARIABLE LABELS RTRN_VIS 'Return visit # (0=initial visit').

DO IF $CASENUM = 1. . COMPUTE RTRN_VIS = 0. ELSE IF CLIENTID NE LAG(CLIENTID). . COMPUTE RTRN_VIS = 0. ELSE. . COMPUTE RTRN_VIS = LAG(RTRN_VIS) + 1. END IF.