Trouble with system-missing values

[Mike Donatello]

I seem to be having some weirdness with testing values as missing; i.e.,
they're not being recognized as such.  So, for example, running the
following sample

   COMPUTE Test=$SYSMIS.
   IF (Test EQ $SYSMIS) Counter=1 .
   EXECUTE .

gives me two variables, Test and Counter, with both set to missing on all cases.

I've been using SPSS since the late 80s and I don't think I've ever come
across anything like this.  Did I make a mistake so obvious that I can't see it?

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[Zdaniuk, Bozena-3]

try:
COMPUTE Test=$SYSMIS.
IF (sysmis(Test)) Counter=1 .
EXECUTE .
freq vars=test counter.

bozena
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Donatello" <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 11:00:45 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Trouble with system-missing values

I seem to be having some weirdness with testing values as missing; i.e.,
they're not being recognized as such.  So, for example, running the
following sample

   COMPUTE Test=$SYSMIS.
   IF (Test EQ $SYSMIS) Counter=1 .
   EXECUTE .

gives me two variables, Test and Counter, with both set to missing on all cases.

I've been using SPSS since the late 80s and I don't think I've ever come
across anything like this.  Did I make a mistake so obvious that I can't see it?

=====================
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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[Garry Gelade]

Dear Mike

I suspect that if an argument to the IF EQ is missing, SPSS cannot evaluate
the result at all, so the result will be set to missing (or possibly ignored
and left unchanged).

Instead use the MISSING function. MISSING(Test) evaluates to 1 if Test is
missing.

Garry Gelade
Business Analytic Ltd.


-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Mike Donatello
Sent: 24 January 2011 19:01
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Trouble with system-missing values

I seem to be having some weirdness with testing values as missing; i.e.,
they're not being recognized as such.  So, for example, running the
following sample

   COMPUTE Test=$SYSMIS.
   IF (Test EQ $SYSMIS) Counter=1 .
   EXECUTE .

gives me two variables, Test and Counter, with both set to missing on all
cases.

I've been using SPSS since the late 80s and I don't think I've ever come
across anything like this.  Did I make a mistake so obvious that I can't see
it?

=====================
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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[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
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SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
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