Date:         Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:47:53 -0500
Reply-To:     Deepa Bhat <deepa_bhat@jsi.com>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Deepa Bhat <deepa_bhat@jsi.com>
Subject:      Re: Recoding multiple variables into one new variable
Comments: To: Syed.S.Hashmi.1@uth.tmc.edu
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Thanks everyone for their input.

I tried this output and it works. I have tried it with a few variables
and so far when I do frequencies, they match when I do them
individually.

Thanks again. This is a really great group!

Deepa

>>> "Hashmi, Syed S" <Syed.S.Hashmi.1@uth.tmc.edu> 01/30/08 11:55 AM >>>
Deepa,

I don't know if this is the best method, but you can do that by using a
different RECODE command for each of the original variables (tested in
v.16):

 RECODE
   q3_1a
   (1=1)  (2=2)  (99=99)  INTO  new3_1 .
 RECODE
   q3_1b
   (1=1)  (2=2)  (99=99)  INTO  new3_1 .
 RECODE
   q3_1c
   (1=1)  (2=2)  (99=99)  INTO  new3_1 .
 RECODE
   q3_1d
   (1=1)  (2=2)  (99=99)  INTO  new3_1 .
 VARIABLE LABELS new3_1 'Clean table or tray'.
 EXECUTE .


A couple of points to remember:
1. This will only work if you don't have rows with data in more than one
column.  If you do, then the latter variable will overwrite the previous
one.
2. I haven't included the SYSMIS values in the code.  I've done this
because I'm assuming that if the first row might have "2" for q3_1a but
have SYSMIS for all the other three vars.  If that is true, then the
code will overwrite "2" with SYSMIS in new3_1.

HTH.


Shahrukh





> -----Original Message-----
> From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of
> Deepa Bhat
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 10:12 AM
> To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Recoding multiple variables into one new variable
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I have a database in which the data entry staff entered the responses
> to one question in four different columns. I would like to combine it
> all into one column. The syntax I have so far is the following:
>
> RECODE
>   q3_1a
>   (1=1)  (2=2)  (99=99)  (SYSMIS=SYSMIS)  INTO  new3_1 .
> VARIABLE LABELS new3_1 'Clean table or tray'.
> EXECUTE .
>
>
> SPSS won't let me recode another variable (q3_1b q3_1c q3_1d) into
> new3_1. I don't have to worry about any response overriding another
one
> because each response is affiliated with a different person.
>
> I am trying to avoid doing frequencies of each and tallying it up the
> total by hand. Is there a syntax that will allow me to recode multiple
> variables into one variable?
>
> Thanks so much,
> Deepa
>
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