Date:         Thu, 9 Jan 1997 14:14:14 PST
Reply-To:     Melvin Klassen <KLASSEN@UVVM.UVIC.CA>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Melvin Klassen <KLASSEN@UVVM.UVIC.CA>
Subject:      Re: renaming multiple variables

Gloria Edwards <gsedward@HAMLET.UNCG.EDU> writes:
>I have a client who wants to merge three datasets.  The problem is that
>the datasets have duplicate variable names (e.g., v1-v225) that represent
>different things in each dataset.  Therefore, the variables need to be
>renamed before merging.
>Is there a way to rename multiple variables in SPSS without specifying
>each variable individually?  The datasets are so large that individual
>renames would be extremely cumbersome, but the menu options in SPSS Win
>7.0 didn't appear to provide a work around.  Can we do this with syntax?
 
MATCH FILES   FILE= handle1 /
              RENAME= (V1 TO V225 = A1 TO A225) /
              IN = INA /
 
              FILE= handle2 /
              RENAME= (V1 TO V225 = B1 TO B225) /
              IN = INB /
 
              BY varlist /
 
SELECT IF (INA AND INB)   /* Select only "matching" cases. */
 
QED.