Date:         Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:56:10 -0500
Reply-To:     Gene Maguin <emaguin@buffalo.edu>
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Gene Maguin <emaguin@buffalo.edu>
Subject:      Re: Basic loop-vector (now macro) command help?
In-Reply-To:  <200611221635.kAMBlFGT009010@malibu.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Brian,

It seem like we have made several trips over the same ground and the helpers
haven't been helfpful. Richard's question

>>(If you'll excuse me, why the project in the first place? You have two
perfectly good state codes already: FIPS and postal. And if you have
two different 2-digit state codes in your file - FIPS, in which Alabama
is "00", and yours in which Alabama is "01" - you've handed yourself
great opportunity for confusion.)

Is a good one. I'm curious to read what you'll say.


You offered this as an example of 'good code'.

If (TO_ST = "00"  And TO_ST_ABBR = "AL") To_St_2 = "01".
If (TO_ST = "00" And TO_ST_ABBR = "AK") To_St_2 = "02".

So let's see you can help me understand something that has never been clear.
1) Is TO_ST the master file FIPS code variable?

2) Assuming that TO_ST is the master file FIPS code variable, is it possible
that the value of TO_ST_ABBR for the TO_ST value is incorrect given a table
of the true abbreviation associated with each FIPS code?

3) If 2) is true, then is the object of this job to mark records having the
incorrect abbreviation for the listed FIPS code?

Please respond to each question individually and an answer is No, please
indicate the true statement.

Gene Maguin