While exploring solutions to a query on SPSSX_L(*), I ran into three
features that I think infelicitous in menu Data > Restructure... >
Restructure selected variables into cases:
1. In the menu where you actually select variables, variables
selected as "Case group identifier" or "Variables to be transposed"
do *not* disappear from the list "Variables in the current file",
contrary to the behavior of many other menus.
Perhaps this is intended to support the feature that "A variable may
be listed more than once on a FROM list. Its values are repeated"
(CSR article on VARSTOCASES). However, it makes it harder to keep
straight what variables you have selected, and what ones you haven't,
in the usual case that you want to select each variable once.
2. If you use the name of a source variable as the name of a target
variable, you get error box "Cannot use a source variable name in the
destination". (Interestingly, then the source variable is selected as
intended.) There's no reason for this message, as it's a constraint
that doesn't apply to VARSTOCASES.
3. If you're restructuring more than one variable group, you have to
specify the number of groups on the initial menu. It should be easy
to implement, and would be easier to use, to let users simply define
as many groups as desired, on the next menu.
P.S. Running SPSS 14 for Windows; but I don't believe these have been
changed since.
=========================================================================
(*) Thread "Data Formatting - 2 questions into 1", begun Wed, 11 Sep
2013 17:50:33 -0400
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