Date:         Thu, 4 Nov 1999 19:32:04 -0500
Reply-To:     Raynald Levesque <rlevesque@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Raynald Levesque <rlevesque@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      Re: syntax functioning and syntax documentation
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Why do you say that your syntax shouln't work?

After the syntax is run, all 4 replacement variables (M1DLQA1 M1DLQB1
M1DLQC1 M1DLQD1) will have the SAME value. That value is
8 if M1DLQ13=2,
9 if M1DLQ13=9 and
. if in other cases (where . means missing).

The description of conventions used in describing syntax is given in Figure
1 of the Syntax reference manual (this is on page 4 of the version 10
manual). Commends within square brackets [ ] means that they are optional.

HTH

Ray




----- Original Message -----
From: <emaguin@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.spssx-l
To: <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 5:17 PM
Subject: syntax functioning and syntax documentation


> List members,
>
> I recently wrote the following syntax segment. Note that M1DLQ13 is an
> already defined variable in the dataset.
>
> DO REPEAT STEM=M1DLQA1 M1DLQB1 M1DLQC1 M1DLQD1.
> +  DO IF (M1DLQ13 EQ 2).
> +     COMPUTE STEM=8.
> +  ELSE IF (M1DLQ13 EQ 9).
> +     COMPUTE STEM=9.
> +  END IF.
> END REPEAT.
> EXECUTE.
>
>
> My question is this. As i read the explanation of this command in the
syntax
> reference, it seems as if this command structure shouldn't work. However,
> there is no execution error and it executes correctly when pre and
> post-transformation values are compared. Have i just plainly misread the
> documentation? Or, is there something more subtle that i'm missing? Have
> others used this structure and had problems? I'd be interested to know.
>
> More generally, I'd be interested if anywone knows whether the syntax
> reference defines just the minimum elements that have to be present (here,
> at least one stand in variable and an associated replacement variable list
> for each stand in variable) or whether it defines the elements that must
be
> exclusively present (here, at least one stand in variable and an
associated
> variable list for each stand in variable, and no other variables).  Stated
> another way, what is the true relationship between the syntax reference
and
> the subroutines that check the syntax for errors?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Gene Maguin