Date:         Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:17:29 -0400
Reply-To:     Dawn Wiest <DWiest@mail.acponline.org>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Dawn Wiest <DWiest@mail.acponline.org>
Subject:      Re: String variable -  leading zeros
Comments: To: Gene Maguin <emaguin@buffalo.edu>
In-Reply-To:  <36C4811AC1FC4AB3AD6D3807AFA30D9A@itorg.ad.buffalo.edu>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Gene, you are correct: the variable was imported as a numeric variable.
I applied the syntax ViAnn recommended and it worked beautifully.
Thanks!

>>> Gene Maguin <emaguin@buffalo.edu> 6/17/2011 3:58 PM >>>
Dawn,

Are you sure that ID remains a string variable once imported? The
behavior you describe seems consistent with the import of a numeric
variable or a string variable being converted to numeric in the import
process.

Gene Maguin


If you need the leading zeroes than you must be doing a string compare
since 12 and 012 are the same number. So you need to convert the number
back to a string using the string function and specifying the N format
for the number.
string stringvar(a9).
compute stringvar=string(numbervar, n9).
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Dawn Wiest
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 3:38 PM
To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: String variable - leading zeros


Hello –
After importing data from a different program into SPSS, the leading
zeros on a string variable that I use as a key variable across multiple
data sets are lost. I need to recapture those leading zeros.
This is an ID variable that should have nine digits. When the data are
exported, only the non-zero digits remain so that, for example, ID
000022122 becomes 22122; ID 000000011 becomes 11; ID 077777777 becomes
77777777, and so on.
Is there a way to replenish the leading zeros on this variable so that
the total length of each of the resulting values is 9 digits?
Thank you in advance for your help
Dawn

Dawn Wiest, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Research Center - 7th Floor
American College of Physicians
190 North Independence Mall West Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572

DWiest@mail.acponline.org
(215) 351-2561

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