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MODIFY VARS /REORDER={FORWARD,BACKWARD} {POSITIONAL,ALPHA} (var_list)… /RENAME=(old_names=new_names)… /{DROP,KEEP}=var_list /MAP
MODIFY VARS
reorders, renames, and deletes variables in the
active dataset.
At least one subcommand must be specified, and no subcommand may be
specified more than once. DROP
and KEEP
may not both
be specified.
The REORDER
subcommand changes the order of variables in the active
dataset. Specify one or more lists of variable names in parentheses. By
default, each list of variables is rearranged into the specified order.
To put the variables into the reverse of the specified order, put
keyword BACKWARD
before the parentheses. To put them into alphabetical
order in the dictionary, specify keyword ALPHA
before the parentheses.
BACKWARD
and ALPHA
may also be combined.
To rename variables in the active dataset, specify RENAME
, an equals sign
(‘=’), and lists of the old variable names and new variable names
separated by another equals sign within parentheses. There must be the
same number of old and new variable names. Each old variable is renamed to
the corresponding new variable name. Multiple parenthesized groups of
variables may be specified.
The DROP
subcommand deletes a specified list of variables from the
active dataset.
The KEEP
subcommand keeps the specified list of variables in the active
dataset. Any unlisted variables are deleted from the active dataset.
MAP
is currently ignored.
If either DROP
or KEEP
is specified, the data is read;
otherwise it is not.
MODIFY VARS
may not be specified following TEMPORARY
(see TEMPORARY).