Parsing String Name Variable
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Dear List.
I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I'm doing anyway. I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name components. The name components are of varying lengths. This is what I have: Name Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman This is what I want First Middle Last Brenda Jones Steven Patrick Leesman Thanks for any help. Maggie ===================== 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 |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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How about this?
data list / name(a25). begin data Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman end data. string first middle last (a15). compute #sp1 = index(name," "). compute #sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). compute first = substr(name,1,#sp1-1). compute last = substr(name,#sp2+1). if #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. OUTPUT: name first middle last Brenda Jones Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman Steven Patrick Leesman Number of cases read: 4 Number of cases listed: 4
--
Bruce Weaver bweaver@lakeheadu.ca http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1. My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. 2. The SPSSX Discussion forum on Nabble is no longer linked to the SPSSX-L listserv administered by UGA (https://listserv.uga.edu/). |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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In reply to this post by Maggie Greiner
There are numerous ways to accomplish this.
Here's one:
*sample data. data list list (",") /name (a100). begin data Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman end data. *end sample data, start code. string fname mname lname #name (a100). compute fname=substr(name, 1, index(name, " ")-1). compute lname=substr(name, rindex(name, " ")+1). compute #name=replace(name, fname, ""). compute #name=replace(#name, lname, ""). compute mname=ltrim(#name). list. Rick Oliver Senior Information Developer IBM Business Analytics (SPSS) E-mail: [hidden email] From: Maggie <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Date: 07/05/2012 04:13 PM Subject: Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]> Dear List. I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I'm doing anyway. I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name components. The name components are of varying lengths. This is what I have: Name Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman This is what I want First Middle Last Brenda Jones Steven Patrick Leesman Thanks for any help. Maggie ===================== 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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In reply to this post by Maggie Greiner
For simple 2/3 element parsing use Bruce's or Rick's solutions OTOH if you encounter general issues where you need to split out multiple elements from arbitrarily long sequences the following ideas are useful.
data list / str 1-40 (A). begin data john stuart mills captain crunch end data string fname mname lname (A20) #str (a40). VECTOR names=fname TO lname. COMPUTE #str=LTRIM(str). COMPUTE #I=1. LOOP . + COMPUTE #Found=INDEX(#str," "). + COMPUTE names(#I)=SUBSTR(#str,1,#Found). + COMPUTE #str=LTRIM(SUBSTR(#str,#Found+1)). + COMPUTE #I=#I+1. END LOOP IF #str=" ". ** Fix middle and last names **. DO IF #I=3. + COMPUTE names(3)=names(2). + COMPUTE names(2)=" ". END IF. list.
Please reply to the list and not to my personal email.
Those desiring my consulting or training services please feel free to email me. --- "Nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis." Cum es damnatorum possederunt porcos iens ut salire off sanguinum cliff in abyssum?" |
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Or this, using a Python extension command.
data list / name 1-40 (A). begin data john stuart mills captain crunch end data dataset name names. spssinc trans result = first middle last type=15 /formula "string.split(name)". do if last = "". compute last = middle. compute middle = "". end if. Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim Senior Software Engineer, IBM [hidden email] new phone: 720-342-5621 From: David Marso <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Date: 07/05/2012 05:55 PM Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]> For simple 2/3 element parsing use Bruce's or Rick's solutions OTOH if you encounter general issues where you need to split out multiple elements from arbitrarily long sequences the following ideas are useful. data list / str 1-40 (A). begin data john stuart mills captain crunch end data string fname mname lname (A20) #str (a40). VECTOR names=fname TO lname. COMPUTE #str=LTRIM(str). COMPUTE #I=1. LOOP . + COMPUTE #Found=INDEX(#str," "). + COMPUTE names(#I)=SUBSTR(#str,1,#Found). + COMPUTE #str=LTRIM(SUBSTR(#str,#Found+1)). + COMPUTE #I=#I+1. END LOOP IF #str=" ". ** Fix middle and last names **. DO IF #I=3. + COMPUTE names(3)=names(2). + COMPUTE names(2)=" ". END IF. list. Maggie wrote > > Dear List. > > I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and > rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what > I'm doing anyway. > > I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one > variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three > separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name > components. The name components are of varying lengths. > > This is what I have: > > Name > Brenda Jones > Chuck Fred Smith > Alyssa Gwen Mulder > Steven Patrick Leesman > > This is what I want > > First Middle Last > Brenda Jones > Steven Patrick Leesman > > Thanks for any help. > > Maggie > > ===================== > To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to > LISTSERV@.UGA (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 > -- View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Parsing-String-Name-Variable-tp5714037p5714040.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ===================== 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 |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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Cool, but it won't work with double names (double middle names, noble names). Here are a bunch of names I plucked from wikipedia, the last few are noble names.
data list / naam 1-50 (A). begin data Henk Baars Arjen de Baat W.G. del Baere Maarten den Bakker Cees Bal Frank van Bakel Maas van Beek Daniëlle Bekkering Dirk Bellemakers Chantal Beltman Henk Benjamins Camiel van den Bergh Jan van Benthem van den Bergh Johan van den Berch van Heemstede Jan-Willem van Beresteyn Hans-Willem van Bevervoorden van Oldemeule end data dataset name namen. begin program python.
import re def giveNames(name): first = re.split("\s+(?=[a-z]?)", name)[0] last = " ".join(re.split("\s+(?=[A-Z])", name)[1:]) middle = re.sub("(%s|%s)" % (first, last), "", name).strip() return first, middle, last end program. spssinc trans result = first middle last type=30
/formula "giveNames(naam)". execute. Regards,
Albert-Jan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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I am currently out of the office at a conference and will return on Friday July 13th. I will be monitoring my email for urgent issues, but otherwise I will get back to you as soon as possible after my return.
Thank you. |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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In reply to this post by Rick Oliver-3
Wow! This has been helpful. Thanks to all of you for your syntax help. This has saved me hours and probably days because I sometimes have a short attention span. Thanks Albert, I didn't think about double names, and even where I live names are not as straight forward as they used to be (e.g. Fred Jones); the names of people coming into our systems are more and more complicated. I'll check my list and take that into account.
Bruce, I'm using your syntax, but there are a couple of things I don't understand, and I want to learn. I understand everything up to "name,1,#sp1-1" and "#sp2+1". What does that syntax do?
Again, thanks to everyone for your help.
Maggie.
From: Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email] Date: 07/05/2012 05:03 PM Subject: Re: Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]> How about this? data list / name(a25). begin data Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman end data. string first middle last (a15). compute #sp1 = index(name," "). compute #sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). compute first = substr(name,1,#sp1-1). compute last = substr(name,#sp2+1). if #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. OUTPUT: name first middle last Brenda Jones Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman Steven Patrick Leesman Number of cases read: 4 Number of cases listed: 4 Maggie wrote > > Dear List. > > I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and > rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what > I'm doing anyway. > > I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one > variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three > separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name > components. The name components are of varying lengths. > > This is what I have: > > Name > Brenda Jones > Chuck Fred Smith > Alyssa Gwen Mulder > Steven Patrick Leesman > > This is what I want > > First Middle Last > Brenda Jones > Steven Patrick Leesman > > Thanks for any help. > > Maggie > > ===================== > To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to > LISTSERV@.UGA (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 > ----- -- Bruce Weaver [hidden email] http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. -- View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Parsing-String-Name-Variable-tp5714037p5714038.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com. |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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They are index values that identify the
position (character count) of the first space encountered working
from the left and the first space (rindex) working from the right.
The general form of the SUBSTR function is SUBSTR(varname, start location, number of characters). The third argument is optional. If it's omitted, all characters from start location to the end will be included. Everything between the first and last space will be included in the middle name. Rick Oliver Senior Information Developer IBM Business Analytics (SPSS) E-mail: [hidden email] Phone: 312.893.4922 | T/L: 206-4922 From: Maggie Greiner <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Date: 07/06/2012 08:57 AM Subject: Re: Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]> Wow! This has been helpful. Thanks to all of you for your syntax help. This has saved me hours and probably days because I sometimes have a short attention span. Thanks Albert, I didn't think about double names, and even where I live names are not as straight forward as they used to be (e.g. Fred Jones); the names of people coming into our systems are more and more complicated. I'll check my list and take that into account. Bruce, I'm using your syntax, but there are a couple of things I don't understand, and I want to learn. I understand everything up to "name,1,#sp1-1" and "#sp2+1". What does that syntax do? Again, thanks to everyone for your help. Maggie. From: Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Date: 07/05/2012 05:03 PM Subject: Re: Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]> How about this? data list / name(a25). begin data Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman end data. string first middle last (a15). compute #sp1 = index(name," "). compute #sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). compute first = substr(name,1,#sp1-1). compute last = substr(name,#sp2+1). if #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. OUTPUT: name first middle last Brenda Jones Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman Steven Patrick Leesman Number of cases read: 4 Number of cases listed: 4 Maggie wrote > > Dear List. > > I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and > rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what > I'm doing anyway. > > I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one > variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three > separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name > components. The name components are of varying lengths. > > This is what I have: > > Name > Brenda Jones > Chuck Fred Smith > Alyssa Gwen Mulder > Steven Patrick Leesman > > This is what I want > > First Middle Last > Brenda Jones > Steven Patrick Leesman > > Thanks for any help. > > Maggie > > ===================== > To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to > LISTSERV@.UGA (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 > ----- -- Bruce Weaver [hidden email] http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. -- View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Parsing-String-Name-Variable-tp5714037p5714038.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com. |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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In reply to this post by Maggie Greiner
Hi Maggie. As Rick explained, my #sp1 and #sp2 scratch variables were indices giving the positions of the first and second spaces. To see this explicitly, you could run a version of my syntax that removes the hash characters (#) from those variables. That will make them regular variables that you can then inspect in the data file afterwards to confirm that they give the positions of the 1st and 2nd spaces -- and when there is only one space (i.e., only first and last names), they will be equal.
string first middle last (a15). compute sp1 = index(name," "). /* position of 1st space. compute sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). /* position of 2nd space. compute first = substr(name,1,sp1-1). /* Sub-string from 1 to SP1-1. compute last = substr(name,sp2+1). /* Sub-string from SP2+1 to the end. * If sp2 EQ sp1, there are only two names, so no middle name. * If sp2 NE sp1, grab everything between the 2 spaces and assign to MIDDLE. if sp2 NE sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. HTH.
--
Bruce Weaver bweaver@lakeheadu.ca http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1. My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. 2. The SPSSX Discussion forum on Nabble is no longer linked to the SPSSX-L listserv administered by UGA (https://listserv.uga.edu/). |
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Alternatively keep them as #scratch variables and use PRINT to inspect them in the output.
Note a few mods (CHAR.) to Bruce's code and a fix in the middle computation. I like/tend to use CAPITAL letters for SPSS commands and lower case for vars. I find it easier to quickly scan code for basic operations and logic. STRING first middle last (A15). COMPUTE #sp1 = CHAR.INDEX(name," "). /* position of 1st space. COMPUTE #sp2 = CHAR.RINDEX(RTRIM(name)," "). /* position of *last* space. COMPUTE first = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,1,#sp1-1). /* Sub-string from 1 to #SP1-1. COMPUTE last = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,#sp2+1). /* Sub-string from #SP2+1 to the end. IF #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). PRINT / name first last #sp1 #sp2. EXE.
Please reply to the list and not to my personal email.
Those desiring my consulting or training services please feel free to email me. --- "Nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis." Cum es damnatorum possederunt porcos iens ut salire off sanguinum cliff in abyssum?" |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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Thanks David. I didn't think of PRINT.
By the way, I LIKE the uppercase letters for commands too, but am usually too lazy to hold down the shift key while I type them. ;-) And before someone jumps in suggesting that I use auto-complete (or whatever it's called), I've turned it off because I find it gets in the way.
--
Bruce Weaver bweaver@lakeheadu.ca http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1. My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. 2. The SPSSX Discussion forum on Nabble is no longer linked to the SPSSX-L listserv administered by UGA (https://listserv.uga.edu/). |
Re: Parsing String Name Variable
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In reply to this post by Maggie Greiner
This helped. I did remove the # and I could follow the logic of the code. Thanks.!
Maggie
From: Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Date: 07/06/2012 01:13 PM
Subject: Re: Parsing String Name Variable
Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>
Hi Maggie. As Rick explained, my #sp1 and #sp2 scratch variables were indices giving the positions of the first and second spaces. To see this explicitly, you could run a version of my syntax that removes the hash characters (#) from those variables. That will make them regular variables that you can then inspect in the data file afterwards to confirm that they give the positions of the 1st and 2nd spaces -- and when there is only one space (i.e., only first and last names), they will be equal. string first middle last (a15). compute sp1 = index(name," "). /* position of 1st space. compute sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). /* position of 2nd space. compute first = substr(name,1,sp1-1). /* Sub-string from 1 to SP1-1. compute last = substr(name,sp2+1). /* Sub-string from SP2+1 to the end. * If sp2 EQ sp1, there are only two names, so no middle name. * If sp2 NE sp1, grab everything between the 2 spaces and assign to MIDDLE. if sp2 NE sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. HTH. Maggie wrote > > Wow! This has been helpful. Thanks to all of you for your syntax help. > This has saved me hours and probably days because I sometimes have a short > attention span. Thanks Albert, I didn't think about double names, and even > where I live names are not as straight forward as they used to be (e.g. > Fred Jones); the names of people coming into our systems are more and > more complicated. I'll check my list and take that into account. > > Bruce, I'm using your syntax, but there are a couple of things I don't > understand, and I want to learn. I understand everything up to > "name,1,#sp1-1" and "#sp2+1". What does that syntax do? > > Again, thanks to everyone for your help. > > Maggie. > |
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In reply to this post by Bruce Weaver
The use of color in the
syntax editor and the auto indent tool do a lot to help
readability.
However, since long before the age of PCs, I have often asked SPSS to implement these things, but they have never been implemented. Perhaps someone up on Python could write something to do what PRETTY did for FORTRAN in the 1972 era. 1) have all variables be lower case 2) have all functions have initial caps 3) have all reserve words be all caps. 4) leave comments, labels, etc. alone 5) be sure there is a blank space on each side of any symbolic operator. If my vague understanding of Python is correct, someone who knew what (s)he was doing could also 1)expand abbreviated syntax, e.g., somebody posts syntax that says "freq" it would be expanded to "FREQUENCIES". 2) convert symbolic operators to the conventional operators. "&" to "AND", ">=" to "GE", etc. Art Kendall Social Research ConsultantsOn 7/6/2012 5:02 PM, Bruce Weaver wrote: Thanks David. I didn't think of PRINT. By the way, I LIKE the uppercase letters for commands too, but am usually too lazy to hold down the shift key while I type them. ;-) And before someone jumps in suggesting that I use auto-complete (or whatever it's called), I've turned it off because I find it gets in the way. David Marso wroteAlternatively keep them as #scratch variables and use PRINT to inspect them in the output. Note a few mods (CHAR.) to Bruce's code and a fix in the middle computation. I like/tend to use CAPITAL letters for SPSS commands and lower case for vars. I find it easier to quickly scan code for basic operations and logic. STRING first middle last (A15). COMPUTE #sp1 = CHAR.INDEX(name," "). /* position of 1st space. COMPUTE #sp2 = CHAR.RINDEX(RTRIM(name)," "). /* position of *last* space. COMPUTE first = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,1,#sp1-1). /* Sub-string from 1 to #SP1-1. COMPUTE last = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,#sp2+1). /* Sub-string from #SP2+1 to the end. IF #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = CHAR.SUBSTR(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). PRINT / name first last #sp1 #sp2. EXE. Bruce Weaver wroteHi Maggie. As Rick explained, my #sp1 and #sp2 scratch variables were indices giving the positions of the first and second spaces. To see this explicitly, you could run a version of my syntax that removes the hash characters (#) from those variables. That will make them regular variables that you can then inspect in the data file afterwards to confirm that they give the positions of the 1st and 2nd spaces -- and when there is only one space (i.e., only first and last names), they will be equal. string first middle last (a15). compute sp1 = index(name," "). /* position of 1st space. compute sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). /* position of 2nd space. compute first = substr(name,1,sp1-1). /* Sub-string from 1 to SP1-1. compute last = substr(name,sp2+1). /* Sub-string from SP2+1 to the end. * If sp2 EQ sp1, there are only two names, so no middle name. * If sp2 NE sp1, grab everything between the 2 spaces and assign to MIDDLE. if sp2 NE sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. HTH. Maggie wroteWow! This has been helpful. Thanks to all of you for your syntax help. This has saved me hours and probably days because I sometimes have a short attention span. Thanks Albert,� I didn't think about double names, and even where I live names are not as straight forward as they used to be (e.g. Fred Jones); the names of � people coming into our systems are� more and more complicated. I'll check my list and take that into account. � Bruce, I'm using your syntax,� but there are a couple of things I don't understand, and I want to learn. I understand everything up to "name,1,#sp1-1" and "#sp2+1". What does that syntax do? � Again, thanks to everyone for your help. � Maggie. ________________________________ � � � From: � � � � Bruce Weaver <bruce.weaver@> To: � � � � [hidden email] Date: � � � � 07/05/2012 05:03 PM Subject: � � � � Re: Parsing String Name Variable Sent by: � � � � "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@.UGA> ________________________________ How about this? data list / name(a25). begin data Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman end data. string first middle last (a15). compute #sp1 = index(name," "). compute #sp2 = rindex(rtrim(name)," "). compute first = substr(name,1,#sp1-1). compute last = substr(name,#sp2+1). if #sp2 NE #sp1 middle = substr(name,#sp1+1,#sp2-#sp1-1). list. OUTPUT: name � � � � � � � � � � � first � � � � � middle � � � � � last Brenda Jones � � � � � � � Brenda � � � � � � � � � � � � � Jones Chuck Fred Smith � � � � � Chuck � � � � � Fred � � � � � � Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder � � � � Alyssa � � � � � Gwen � � � � � � Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman � � Steven � � � � � Patrick � � � � Leesman Number of cases read: � 4 � � Number of cases listed: � 4 Maggie wroteDear List. I know this is a simple question, but I've messed around with substr and rindex and can't get the syntax to work. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I'm doing anyway. I have a file with 2300 records. The First Middle Last names are in one variable (name). I want to parse out the first, middle and last into three separate variables. Spaces separate (one space) each of the name components. The name components are of varying lengths. This is what I have: Name Brenda Jones Chuck Fred Smith Alyssa Gwen Mulder Steven Patrick Leesman This is what I want First � Middle � � Last Brenda � � � � � � � Jones Steven � Patrick � � Leesman Thanks for any help. Maggie ===================== 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----- -- Bruce Weaver bweaver@ http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. -- View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Parsing-String-Name-Variable-tp5714037p5714038.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.----- -- Bruce Weaver [hidden email] http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM." NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. -- View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Parsing-String-Name-Variable-tp5714037p5714061.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ===================== 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
Art Kendall
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