Date:         Thu, 9 Sep 2010 17:05:09 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Pritchard <5circles@gmail.com>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Mike Pritchard <5circles@gmail.com>
Organization: 5 Circles Research
Subject:      Update on Syntax extraction
In-Reply-To:  <008DD9CD8C084CB49533C1522A0770AD@ssw.buffalo.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Thanks to Gene, Art, and Bruce for suggestions.  I'm not sure that I
understood everything suggested (some ideas seemed to need me to get up to
speed on some deeper aspects of SPSS syntax), but I wanted to give a quick
update on the eventual resolution.

I changed all the source variables to string type.  Then ran a piece of
syntax that had earlier caused problems because of the different variable
types.   I still wish there was an easy way to detect the variable type in
syntax (I'm using V16).

The eventual code looks like this - including the punch of the top option
chosen.  I'm sure it could be more elegant/efficient, but it worked.

DELETE VARIABLES Q4aCategory_Top.
STRING Q4aCategory_Top (A250).
COMPUTE Q4aCategory_Top = Q4aCategory.
EXECUTE.
ALTER TYPE Q4aCategory_Top (F5.0).
DO IF (CHAR.LENGTH(Q4aCategory)>2).
     COMPUTE Q4aCategory_Top = 97.
END IF.
EXECUTE.
COUNT #temp =  Q4Category_1 Q4Category_2 Q4Category_3 Q4Category_4
Q4Category_5 Q4Category_6 Q4Category_7 Q4Category_8 Q4Category_9
Q4Category_10 Q4Category_97 (1).
DO IF (#temp=1).
   IF (Q4Category_1=1) Q4aCategory_Top=1.
   IF (Q4Category_2=1) Q4aCategory_Top=2.
   IF (Q4Category_3=1) Q4aCategory_Top=3.
   IF (Q4Category_4=1) Q4aCategory_Top=4.
   IF (Q4Category_5=1) Q4aCategory_Top=5.
   IF (Q4Category_6=1) Q4aCategory_Top=6.
   IF (Q4Category_7=1) Q4aCategory_Top=7.
   IF (Q4Category_8=1) Q4aCategory_Top=8.
   IF (Q4Category_9=1) Q4aCategory_Top=9.
   IF (Q4Category_10=1) Q4aCategory_Top=10.
   IF (Q4Category_97=1) Q4aCategory_Top=97.
END IF.
EXECUTE.

The test with CHAR.LENGTH is a feeble attempt to create a code for text in
the original variable.  It worked, but only because respondents who entered
text used more than 2 characters - the maximum for the original codes.

There was one variable that still caused problems because all cases passed
this test.   I wasn't able to see what the issue was caused by, but when I
cleared the contents (they already looked clear to me) the syntax worked.

Thanks again!
Mike

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