Date:         Wed, 21 Sep 2005 17:31:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Richard Ristow <wrristow@mindspring.com>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Richard Ristow <wrristow@mindspring.com>
Subject:      Re: syntax for creating new var
Comments: To: Kim Jinnett <kjinnett@ibiweb.org>
In-Reply-To:  <MPECLJPOAEIJAOCEBHBJAEPDCDAA.kjinnett@ibiweb.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 02:00 PM 9/21/2005, Kim Jinnett wrote:

>I'm trying to create a set of 8 dummy variables from one variable that
>was coded with values 1 to 8.  I'm having trouble dealing with the
>missing values appropriately.  If the original variable "intgtype" has
>a missing value, I want the new variable to have a missing value as
>well.  Where do I insert the missing value statement and what should
>it look like?  I'm sure there is a much more efficient way to write
>the code below as well.

I'd do something like this (untested code)

* You might as well retain the following, since .
* you have to declare those variables somehow,  .
* and they don't have names that can be created .
* by a short-form VECTOR statement or a TO list .
* on a NUMERIC statement.                       .

COMPUTE wstdltd=0.
COMPUTE awstdltd=0.
COMPUTE stdltd=0.
COMPUTE astdltd=0.
COMPUTE whstdltd=0.
COMPUTE awhstltd=0.
COMPUTE hstdltd=0.
COMPUTE ahstdltd=0.

* Other attributes of the created variables     .

FORMATS        wstdltd TO ahstdltd (F2).
MISSING VALUES wstdltd TO ahstdltd (9).
VALUE LABELS   wstdltd TO ahstdltd
       0 'Not this code'
       1 'Is this code'
       9 'Source missing'.
* (You probably want VAR LABELS, too, but I'll  .
* let you do those.)                            .


* Computations: Here we go!                     .

VECTOR DUMMY = wstdltd TO ahstdltd.
LOOP   #CODE = 1 TO 8.
.  DO IF   MISSING(intgtype).
.     COMPUTE DUMMY(#CODE) = 9.
.  ELSE IF intgtype eq #CODE.
.     COMPUTE DUMMY(#CODE) = 1.
.  ELSE
       COMPUTE DUMMY(#CODE) = 0.
.  END IF.
END LOOP.

I've used a '9' as a user-missing value for the dummies. You can skip
this, and make missing ones system-missing, if you like. For that, drop
the MISSING VALUES statement, and the label for code 9. Replace
.     COMPUTE DUMMY(#CODE) = 9.
with
.     COMPUTE DUMMY(#CODE) = $SYSMIS.

Good luck!
Richard