User Guide

181
File Handling a
nd Fi le Transformations
Add Cases: Dictionary Information
Any existing dictionary information (variable and value labels, user-missing values,
display formats) in the working data file is applied to the merged data file.
 If any dictionary information for a variable is undefined in the working data file,
dictionary information from the external data file is used.
 If the working data file contains any defined value labels or user-missing values
for a variab
le, any additional value labels or user-missing values for that variable
in the external file are ignored.
Add Variables
Add Variables merges the working data file with an external data file that contains the
same cases but different variables. For example, you might want to merge a data file
that conta
ins pre-test results with one that contains post-test results.
 Cases mus
t be sorted in the same order in both data files.
 If one or m
ore key variables are used to match cases, the two data files must be
sorted by ascending order of the key variable(s).
 Variable names in the second data file that duplicate variable names in the
working data file are excluded by default because Add Variables assumes that
these var
iables contain duplicate information.
Indicate case s ource as variable. Indicates the source data file for each case. This
variable has a value of 0 for cases from the working data file and a value of 1 for
cases fro
m the external data file.