Thank you all for your contributions to my problem. Between all the good advice I got I'm sure I'll get it figured out.

Many thanks, Roberta

> -----Original Message----- > From: Raynald Levesque [SMTP:rlevesque@videotron.ca] > Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 8:28 PM > To: SPSS mailing list; Bell, Roberta > Subject: Re: random sampling > > Hi Roberta! > > The following syntax will get 50 samples of approximately x% of the 4000 > cases, sum the values the money variable contained in each sample and save > the 50 results in a file called sample.sav. The number of the sample (1 > through 50) is also saved. The x% and the number of samples are arguments > in > the macro call and are thus easy to change. > > Before running the script, you must ensure that a sample.sav file already > exists. The sample file must contain the 3 numeric variables filter_$, > money > and sample. You may enter arbitrary data for each of these 3 variables or > enter no data at all. The first thing the syntax does is to erase the > cases > in that file. Only the variables names are used. I am sorry for this > manual > step, but I did not think it was worth it to do this automatically. > > The syntax uses the syntax pasted form the window obtained through the > following sequence from menu: Data->Select Cases->Random sample of > cases->Approximately. > To implement the "Exactly" option would be a little bit more difficult. > Please advise if this is what you required. > > The syntax is as follows: > > > * -------------------DEFINE > MACRO ---------------------------------------------. > DEFINE !SAMPLE( !POS !TOKENS(1) > /!POS !TOKENS(1)). > > * This block of instructions empties the existing sample file. > GET > FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSS\test\sample.sav'. > EXECUTE . > FILTER OFF. > USE ALL. > SELECT IF(money<0). > EXECUTE . > SAVE OUTFILE='C:\Program Files\SPSS\test\sample.sav' > /COMPRESSED. > > > !DO !Count = 1 !TO !2. > > GET > FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSS\test\money.sav'. > EXECUTE . > > USE ALL. > COMPUTE filter_$=(uniform(1)<=!1). > FILTER BY filter_$. > EXECUTE . > > COMPUTE sample=!Count. > > AGGREGATE > /OUTFILE=* > /BREAK=filter_$ > /money = SUM(money) /sample=FIRST(sample). > > ADD FILES /FILE=* > /FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSS\test\sample.sav'. > > SAVE OUTFILE='C:\Program Files\SPSS\test\sample.sav' > /COMPRESSED. > > !DOEND. > > !ENDDEFINE. > * ----------------END OF > MACRO ----------------------------------------------. > > * Call macro (parameters are size of sample (here 5%) and number of > samples > (here 10) > > !SAMPLE .05 10. > > > > I hope this helps. > > Regards > > Raynald Levesque rlevesque@videotron.ca > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Bell, Roberta <rhbell@INDIANA.EDU> > Newsgroups: bit.listserv.spssx-l > To: <SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> > Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 2:06 PM > Subject: FW: random sampling > > > > > I'm sorry. I wrote that in a hurry. > > > > > > I have a file with about 4,000 individuals and one variable, say > money. > I > > > would like > > > to sample a percent of them and sum their values on the money > variable. > I > > > would like > > > to sample this 50 times (or more) so that I get 50 sums for the entire > > > group. I know > > > that SPSS cannot store group sums for individual cases, so I figure it > > > needs to be > > > written to another file. Does that make sense? Can you help? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Roberta > > > > > > rhbell@indiana.edu > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Shailendra Dobson [SMTP:s.dobson@marketprobe.ca] > > > Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 12:39 PM > > > To: Bell, Roberta > > > Subject: Re: random sampling > > > > > > You might rephrase your question. Sorry I don't know the answer. > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Bell, Roberta <rhbell@INDIANA.EDU> > > > Newsgroups: bit.listserv.spssx-l > > > To: SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU <SPSSX-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> > > > Date: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 1:31 PM > > > Subject: random sampling > > > > > > > > > >> I am hoping someone can help. I would like to produce a number of > > > random > > > >> samples (say 50 samples), sum a variable for each sample and save > each > > > sum > > > >> as a field in another file. How would I write the code? > > > >> > > > >> Thank you so much, > > > >> > > > >> Roberta > > > >> > > > >> please cc response to rhbell@indiana.edu > > > >