Help with filling Missing information in SPSS data sets

[Vincent LOUIS-2]

Hi Everyone,
I have an SPSS problem with which you may be able to help me. Here it goes:

I have a large data file which is configured similar to the example I
give below:

MCD_N            Month         Crime_Type          N_Crime

Avondale            10              Robbery                9
      -                    -               Murder                  2
      -                    -               Burglary               25
      -                   11             Burglary               30
      -                    -               DrugPos              120
Bedminister         01             Aggr Assault        50
      -                    -               Robbery               20

Note that the dashes do not appear in the data set. I included them in
this example as place holders, for ease of interpretation.

Questions: How do I write a syntax (or series of codes) to fill in the
blanks were appropriate?

Thus, how do I write a syntax (or series of codes) that will configure
my data file in the following way:

MCD_N            Month         Crime_Type          N_Crime

Avondale            10              Robbery                9
Avondale            10              Murder                  2
Avondale            10              Burglary               25
Avondale            11              Burglary               30
Avondale            11               DrugPos              120
Bedminister        01              Aggr Assault        50
Bedminister        01               Robbery               20

I would appreciate any help you may be able to provide.

Thank you in advance,
Vincent

[Richard Ristow]

At 12:07 PM 1/18/2007, Vincent Louis wrote:

>I have a large data file which is configured similar to the example I
>give below:
>
>MCD_N            Month        Crime_Type     N_Crime
>
>Avondale          10          Robbery             9
>      -             -          Murder              2
>      -             -          Burglary           25
>      -            11          Burglary           30
>      -             -          DrugPos           120
>Bedminister       01          Aggr Assault       50
>      -             -          Robbery            20
>
>Note that the dashes do not appear in the data set. I included them in
>this example as place holders, for ease of interpretation.
>
>Questions: How do I write a syntax (or series of codes) to fill in the
>blanks were appropriate?

You don't say what to fill them in WITH, but it looks like if a value
is blank, you want the value from the preceding record. That's child's
play, but the code below is untested. It assumes Month is a character
variable, though that practice is to be avoided.

By the way, did you ever take care of the problem we gave so much
attention to, under thread name "Help using vectors and loops", back in
October?

IF MCD_N EQ ' ' MCD_N = LAG(MCD_N).
IF Month EQ ' ' Month = LAG(Month).

>Thus, how do I write a syntax (or series of codes) that will configure
>my data file in the following way:
>
>MCD_N            Month         Crime_Type          N_Crime
>
>Avondale            10              Robbery                9
>Avondale            10              Murder                  2
>Avondale            10              Burglary               25
>Avondale            11              Burglary               30
>Avondale            11               DrugPos              120
>Bedminister        01              Aggr Assault        50
>Bedminister        01               Robbery               20
>
>I would appreciate any help you may be able to provide.
>
>Thank you in advance,
>Vincent
>
>
>
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