=========================================================================
Date:         Fri, 7 Jul 2006 13:43:00 -0500
Reply-To:     "Oliver, Richard" <roliver@SPSS.COM>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Oliver, Richard" <roliver@SPSS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Truncating zip code
Comments: To: "Frommelt, Allen" <Frommelt@chime.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

If zip code is a number, use the trunc function, as in:
compute newzip=trunc(oldzip/10000).

If it's a string, create a new string variable that's only 5-characters and then set it equal to the old string, which will get truncated, as in:

string newzip (a5)
compute newzip=oldzip.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Frommelt, Allen
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 1:28 PM
To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Truncating zip code

I am interested in mapping patient origin from zip code. Our zip codes are currently 9 character strings, but our mapping software can only read five character zip codes. Does anyone on the list know of a method in SPSS that will allow me to create a 5 character zip code variable by lopping off the last four characters (e.g., 06451333 would become 06451).

Thanks