Can I make calculations with strings?

[Boika Mileva]

Dear colleagues!

I have the following syntax:

*=========================== **** PARAMETERS**** ====================.

*********************************************************************.
DEFINE !Q()
'2'
!ENDDEFINE.
*********************************************************************.
DEFINE !PrQ()
'1'
!ENDDEFINE.
*********************************************************************.
DEFINE !path()
"D:\AT_NacNN2008\Spss\"
!ENDDEFINE.
*====================================================================.
GET TRANSLATE
  FILE=!path+"Nk"+!Q+".dbf"
  /TYPE=DBF /MAP.

FILTER OFF.
USE ALL.
SELECT IF(stat='13' or stat='17' or stat='19' or stat='20').
EXECUTE .

SAVE OUTFILE=!path+'Sample\xx.sav'
  /KEEP=num tsb week stat vid ansvid regteg ansregte dat3 ry errvid
errregte /COMPRESSED.

GET
  FILE=!path+'Sample\xx.sav'.

INCLUDE FILE !Path+"Syntax\X"+!PrQ+".sps".
*====================================================================.

I should include different syntax depending on the parameter !PrQ
(Previous Quarter)(X1.sps, X2.sps, or X3.sps). As I have defined a
parameter for the Quarter (!Q) - can I calculate the previous Quarter
(something like !Q-1), instead of defining it?

I would be grateful if some of you could help me!

Thank you in advance!

With best regards!

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[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Basically, you can't do arithmetic with the macro facility. It is a string parser only. However, I believe a very ugly solution exists that does do arithmetic, using !LENGTH(!BLANKS(PrQ)) or something like that ; see www.spsstools.net.

Much easier to make one simple Python function for this.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan


--- On Wed, 3/11/09, Boika Mileva <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Boika Mileva <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Can I make calculations with strings?
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 11:13 PM
> Dear colleagues!
>
> I have the following syntax:
>
> *=========================== **** PARAMETERS****
> ====================.
>
> *********************************************************************.
> DEFINE !Q()
> '2'
> !ENDDEFINE.
> *********************************************************************.
> DEFINE !PrQ()
> '1'
> !ENDDEFINE.
> *********************************************************************.
> DEFINE !path()
> "D:\AT_NacNN2008\Spss\"
> !ENDDEFINE.
> *====================================================================.
> GET TRANSLATE
>   FILE=!path+"Nk"+!Q+".dbf"
>   /TYPE=DBF /MAP.
>
> FILTER OFF.
> USE ALL.
> SELECT IF(stat='13' or stat='17' or stat='19' or
> stat='20').
> EXECUTE .
>
> SAVE OUTFILE=!path+'Sample\xx.sav'
>   /KEEP=num tsb week stat vid ansvid regteg ansregte
> dat3 ry errvid
> errregte /COMPRESSED.
>
> GET
>   FILE=!path+'Sample\xx.sav'.
>
> INCLUDE FILE !Path+"Syntax\X"+!PrQ+".sps".
> *====================================================================.
>
> I should include different syntax depending on the
> parameter !PrQ
> (Previous Quarter)(X1.sps, X2.sps, or X3.sps). As I have
> defined a
> parameter for the Quarter (!Q) - can I calculate the
> previous Quarter
> (something like !Q-1), instead of defining it?
>
> I would be grateful if some of you could help me!
>
> Thank you in advance!
>
> With best regards!
>
> =====================
> 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
>

=====================
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command. To leave the list, send the command
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For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD