Subject:Re: I'm stuck Date:1997/10/02 Author:David Mark Marso Martin Lee wrote: Using V7.5 win, I'm trying to produce a routine that will go thru a dataset that has numeric variables named in the style a1000,a1001, a1002... , take five consecutive vars, run some syntax with count and do if to produce a new var, and then move on, skipping two vars, repeat the first exercise, all up 32 times. I've tried to use a macro - but I don't have an "SPSS Macros for Dummys" book: my best effort is: > *Macro for counting dmft in DMDS p15, and p18 datasets. > 1 DEFINE dmftmac (c1start = !TOKENS(1) > 2 /c1end = !TOKENS(1)). > 3 !DO !idx = c1start !TO c1end !BY 7. > 4 !LET !a = !CONCAT(a,!idx). > 5 !LET !b = !CONCAT(a,!idx + 4). > 6 count #(!idx)= !a to !b (1 thru 5). > do if (#(!idx) gt 0). > compute t(!idx)=1. > else. > if (#(!idx) eq 0)t(!idx)=0. > end if. > !DOEND. > !ENDDEFINE. > > dmftmac 1064 1281 . > exec. > > Unfortunately it doesn't like the addition in line 5 (linenums added)and says addition isn't implemented, which is a pity as it's one of the few things I can do! I should have stuck to filling teeth. Is the answer out there? If it is I'd be be really grateful. Martin Lee Public Health Dentist Healthlink South Christchurch, New Zealand leem1@hsl.co.nz * No need for a macro here * * Here is an untested but methodologically correct program using plain old syntax. Vector vars=a1064 to a1288. Vector t(32). loop #=1 to 224 step 7. do repeat new=XX1 XX2 XX3 XX4 XX5 / J=0 to 4. compute new=vars(# + J). end repeat. count #temp=XX1 to XX5 (1 thru 5). compute t((#-1)/7+1)= #temp > 0. end loop. You have discovered that MACROS are not too smart about arithmetic. In fact Macro is just a string parser. If it had gone to college it would have failed mathematics ;-). If you want to do something like this and are absolutely committed to a macro solution I would urge you to study the Canonical Correlation Macro which ships with the Advanced statistics module. It simulates multiplication (m*n) by concatenating a string to a given length (n) and then concatenating that string (m) times. By checking the length of the mn string you have n*m as a macro string walla (sp) you have macro doing math (or something like it). BTW. When I used to do Technical Support I used to be the MACRO specialist. The very first brain puller I received was somebody trying to get it to do math. That one kept me busy for awhile until I realized Macro is numerically unaware ;-) But since you have SPSS 7.5 the best way to do this is a script. See the SPSSInfo object and its properties (in particular the VariableAt property). *There is an example in the help file (copied below)*. Dim objSpssInfo as ISpssInfo Dim strVarName as String, strLabel as String Set objSpssInfo = objSpssApp.SpssInfo ' Gets the variable names and reads the label for GENDER: Dim Count as Integer, I as Integer Count = objSpssInfo.NumVariables For I = 0 To Count - 1 strVarName = objSpssInfo.VariableAt(I) If strVarName = "gender" Then strLabel = objSpssInfo.VariableLabelAt(I) Exit For End If Next