Break String Variable

[Marcioestat]

Hi all,

I've searched at the files a clue that break a string variable at others
but I didn't find.
I have a variable as
X
1,2
1
2,3
1,3
And I want to split in 3 variables in order to calcule the multiple
response.
As I have a string variable I tried the INDEX command, but it didn't come
with the right results.
compute X_1 = index(X,'1').
compute X_2 = index(X,'2').
compute X_3 = index(X,'3').
exe.
I really don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help.
Thanks,
Ribeiro

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[Norton, John]

Hi Ribiero,

You're almost there.  Your current code evaluates for the position of the test value (either 1, 2 or 3) within the string, when you want to test for the *presence* of the value.  Try the code below:

compute X_1 = index(X,'1') <> 0.
compute X_2 = index(X,'2') <> 0.
compute X_3 = index(X,'3') <> 0.
exe.

HTH,

John Norton
SPSS Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ribeiro
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 3:47 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Break String Variable

Hi all,

I've searched at the files a clue that break a string variable at others
but I didn't find.
I have a variable as
X
1,2
1
2,3
1,3
And I want to split in 3 variables in order to calcule the multiple
response.
As I have a string variable I tried the INDEX command, but it didn't come
with the right results.
compute X_1 = index(X,'1').
compute X_2 = index(X,'2').
compute X_3 = index(X,'3').
exe.
I really don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help.
Thanks,
Ribeiro

=====================
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[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

=====================
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[Norton, John]

Hi Melissa,

Well, technically, you are correct; the index function would not result a negative number.  But given that Ribiero is after a logical evaluation for whether a character exists in a string or not, I use the "<>" characters to mean "not equal to."  So, if a character does not exist in a string, then the index function returns a 0.  The code I suggested would determine whether a character existed, and if it did, then the location of that character would be not equal to 0, rendering the logical evaluation as true and assigning a value of 1 to the target variable.

HTH,

John Norton
SPSS Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Ives [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 4:35 PM
To: Norton, John
Subject: RE: Re: [SPSSX-L] Break String Variable

When would an index result a negative number?

Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Norton, John
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 4:22 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Break String Variable

Hi Ribiero,

You're almost there.  Your current code evaluates for the position of
the test value (either 1, 2 or 3) within the string, when you want to
test for the *presence* of the value.  Try the code below:

compute X_1 = index(X,'1') <> 0.
compute X_2 = index(X,'2') <> 0.
compute X_3 = index(X,'3') <> 0.
exe.

HTH,

John Norton
SPSS Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Ribeiro
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 3:47 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Break String Variable

Hi all,

I've searched at the files a clue that break a string variable at others
but I didn't find.
I have a variable as
X
1,2
1
2,3
1,3
And I want to split in 3 variables in order to calcule the multiple
response.
As I have a string variable I tried the INDEX command, but it didn't
come with the right results.
compute X_1 = index(X,'1').
compute X_2 = index(X,'2').
compute X_3 = index(X,'3').
exe.
I really don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help.
Thanks,
Ribeiro

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list
of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list
of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD