Replace character In string

* How to replace certain character(s) in a string.

*Easy? Since SPSS appears to lack a native string replacement function, 
this requires a fair amount of brute force, especially if there are more than one occurences of the target character in your cases variable. 
*I came up with the following syntax, which has been successfully tested:
*By Tim Dunsworth SPSS-L list April 10,2000.

DO IF (INDEX(cases,"&")>0).
LOOP.
COMPUTE cases = CONCAT(SUBSTR(cases,1,INDEX(cases,"&")-1),"/",
SUBSTR(cases,INDEX(cases,"&")+1,LENGTH(cases)-INDEX(cases,"&"))).
END LOOP IF (INDEX(cases,"&")=0).
END IF.
EXECUTE.


*------------------------------------------------------.
*Next solution was suggested by Tverdek Edward from SPSS.

*Reads in some data.
DATA LIST /mystring 1-5 (A).
BEGIN DATA
&abcd
e&gh&
jk&mn
o&q&s
tuvw&
END DATA.

*Parses the original string variable.
VECTOR x (5,A).
LOOP #i=1 TO 5.
COMPUTE x(#i)=SUBSTR(mystring,#i,1).
END LOOP.

*Recodes characters.
RECODE x1 TO x5 ('&'='/').

*Recombines with substituted characters.
STRING new (A5).
COMPUTE new=CONCAT(x1,x2,x3,x4,x5).
LIST.


************************************************.
* this incomplete solution was suggested by Hillel Vardi on 2000/04/11 (need to add a loop).
compute II=INDEX(cases,"&")
DO IF II GT 0
COMPUTE SUBSTR(cases,II,1)="/"
END IF