Hi,
That's a warning of the MATCH FILES command. I don't understand why you got it with the syntax you provided. I you want to link two datasets on the basis of, say, social security number (snn) then snn is your BY variable. But if snn is not unique in either or both datasets (two or more records with the same ssn), you can't simply link the datasets. The solution is a TABLE lookup match:
MATCH FILES / FILE = 'non_unique.sav' / TABLE = 'unique.sav' / BY = ssn.
Both datasets need to be sorted on the BY variable.
Cheers!!
Albert-Jan
--- On Wed, 11/26/08, karen lewis <
[hidden email]> wrote:
> From: karen lewis <
[hidden email]>
> Subject: What do the details in this warning mean?
> To:
[hidden email]
> Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 12:57 AM
> I selected cases, copied to a new database, and got this
> warning:
>
>
>
> Warning # 5132
>
> Duplicate key in a file. The BY variables do not uniquely
> identify each
> case
>
> on the indicated file. Please check the results carefully.
>
> NEW FILE.
>
> DATASET ACTIVATE DataSet1.
>
> DATASET COPY untitled2.
>
> DATASET ACTIVATE untitled2.
>
> FILTER OFF.
>
> USE ALL.
>
> SELECT IF (CRACEM01 = 3).
>
> DATASET ACTIVATE DataSet1.
>
> EXECUTE.
>
>
>
> What are the "BY" variables, and how is it that
> they "do not uniquely
> identify each case on the indicated file"?
>
>
>
> This is a data set with close to 1k variables that I am
> still familiarizing
> myself with, and I am a novice. Gentle responses (i.e.,
> basic) are mostly
> appreciated.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Lewis
>
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