>Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:46:56 -0400 >From: Gene Maguin <emaguin@buffalo.edu> >Subject: Re: Search for a value in all variables? > >Dennis, > >>>I'd like to do two things: 1) identify the case and variable for each >instance of a -8, and 2) create a new variable that simply flags the >presence of at least one -8 on the case with a dichotomous (0/1) >variable. > >>>Oh, and to complicate it just a bit more, a small number of the >variables are string. > >Task 1) Use a recode statement to create a set of corresponding indicator >variables. Like this > >Recode x1 to x500(-8=1)(else=0) into n8_1 to n8_500. >Recode s501 to s508('-8'=1)(else=0) into n8_501 to n8_508.

Thanks, Gene. Will this work if the string variables are interspersed throughout the numeric variables? There aren't clean groups of variables by type. Can I run something like this?

Recode x1 to x500(-8, '-8' =1)(else=0) into n8_1 to n8_500.

(Albert-Jan's suggestion to convert the string to numeric variables is interesting, too, but most of my string variables have valid string data in them, so I think the command would produce an error.)

_dennis

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