Macro- how to access VAR, then filepath in same loop.

[Sheila Baines]

Hello:  I am new to SPSS (old SAS user).  Please can someone help with
this dilemma?  I need to loop through two lists, first is a variable flag,
second is a filepath.  I have an outer loop to go through the vars; I do
NOT want to have an inner loop to go through all 9 filepaths at once.
I need to access the var flag, unduplicate/aggregate, and save to the
approriate file path.  So SELECT A_flg then OUTFILE A_filepath.

HEre is what I have so far.  It works fine except for the filepath.  I
have experimented with loops, vectors, indexes, but can't seem to get it.
Anyone out there that can help?? The BIG problem is right before AGGREGATE.

/**Macro to Get file, SELECT variable based on if flag is set to 1,
unduplicate cases, OUTFILE to specific file for that flag.

DEFINE !Undupflg (flags= !CHAREND ('/')  /fpaths=!CMDEND ).
!DO  !flag !IN (!flags).

GET FILE='C:\Work Files\REPORTS.sav'
  /keep= Cum_flg R12_flg A_flg B_flg C_flg D_flg E_flg F_flg G_flg H_flg
I_flg.

STRING program_category (A10).
COMPUTE program_category = 'AA_all'.      /** (This will be changed to
increment also, eventually).

SELECT IF (!flag =1).             (Get variables, if flag is set to one,
select case - increment through A-I flags.  This works fine!).

SORT CASES BY
  ssn (a) Cum_flg (d).
MATCH FILES FILE=*
                /BY=ssn
                /FIRST=first_ssn.
SELECT IF (first_ssn=1).

??????????????????????????????                /* THE BIG PROBLEM!!  How do
I get this to increment through A_aggre to I_aggre
??????????????????????????????               /* in sync with the SELECT IF
(!flag).  Don't want a LOOP here to run thru all aggre files.
AGGREGATE
  /OUTFILE= ( to filenames A_aggre thru I_aggre.  i.e. A_flg goes to
A_aggre file, etc).
  /BREAK=program_category
  /Cum_flg_total=SUM(Cum_flg)
  /R12_flg_total=SUM(R12_flg).

!DOEND.
!ENDDEFINE.

SET MPRINT=ON.
!Undupflg flags=A_flg B_flg C_flg D_flg E_flg F_flg  G_flg H_flg
I_flg   /fpaths=A_aggre B_aggre C_aggre D_aggre
E_aggre F_aggre G_aggre H_aggre I_aggre.

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[Bruce Weaver]

Sheila Baines wrote

Hello:  I am new to SPSS (old SAS user).  Please can someone help with
this dilemma?  I need to loop through two lists, first is a variable flag,
second is a filepath.  I have an outer loop to go through the vars; I do
NOT want to have an inner loop to go through all 9 filepaths at once.
I need to access the var flag, unduplicate/aggregate, and save to the
approriate file path.  So SELECT A_flg then OUTFILE A_filepath.

HEre is what I have so far.  It works fine except for the filepath.  I
have experimented with loops, vectors, indexes, but can't seem to get it.
Anyone out there that can help?? The BIG problem is right before AGGREGATE.

/**Macro to Get file, SELECT variable based on if flag is set to 1,
unduplicate cases, OUTFILE to specific file for that flag.

DEFINE !Undupflg (flags= !CHAREND ('/')  /fpaths=!CMDEND ).
!DO  !flag !IN (!flags).

GET FILE='C:\Work Files\REPORTS.sav'
  /keep= Cum_flg R12_flg A_flg B_flg C_flg D_flg E_flg F_flg G_flg H_flg
I_flg.

STRING program_category (A10).
COMPUTE program_category = 'AA_all'.      /** (This will be changed to
increment also, eventually).

SELECT IF (!flag =1).             (Get variables, if flag is set to one,
select case - increment through A-I flags.  This works fine!).

SORT CASES BY
  ssn (a) Cum_flg (d).
MATCH FILES FILE=*
                /BY=ssn
                /FIRST=first_ssn.
SELECT IF (first_ssn=1).

??????????????????????????????                /* THE BIG PROBLEM!!  How do
I get this to increment through A_aggre to I_aggre
??????????????????????????????               /* in sync with the SELECT IF
(!flag).  Don't want a LOOP here to run thru all aggre files.
AGGREGATE
  /OUTFILE= ( to filenames A_aggre thru I_aggre.  i.e. A_flg goes to
A_aggre file, etc).
  /BREAK=program_category
  /Cum_flg_total=SUM(Cum_flg)
  /R12_flg_total=SUM(R12_flg).

!DOEND.
!ENDDEFINE.

SET MPRINT=ON.
!Undupflg flags=A_flg B_flg C_flg D_flg E_flg F_flg  G_flg H_flg
I_flg   /fpaths=A_aggre B_aggre C_aggre D_aggre
E_aggre F_aggre G_aggre H_aggre I_aggre.

I must confess that I got a bit bogged down while reading through your macro.  But if I followed, the crux of the problem that you want to loop through the two lists in step, is that right?  If it is, why not hand the macro a list containing A B C D E F G H I, and then use !CONCAT to construct the flag and file names?  E.g., something like:

DEFINE !Undupflg (letters=!CMDEND ).

!DO  !L !IN (!letters).

!LET !flag = !CONCAT(!L,"_flag")
!LET !path = !CONCAT(!L,"_aggre")

etc.

With !CONCAT, it is sometimes necessary to fiddle around with !QUOTE and !UNQUOTE to get things working properly, and I may not have it quite right there.  Looking at example I have suggests it might have to be done like this for the path:

!LET !path = !QUOTE(!CONCAT(!UNQUOTE(!L),"_aggre"))

HTH.