User Guide

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Chapter 8
current file identify the case groups so that it can consolidate each group into a
single row in the new file. Move variables that identify case groups in the current
file into th
e Identifier Variable(s) list. Variables that are used to split the current data
file are automatically used to identify case groups. Each time a new combination
of identification values is encountered, the wizard will create a new row, so cases
in the curr
ent file should be sorted by values of the identification variables, in the
same order that variables are listed in the Identifier Variable(s) list. If the current data
file isn’t already sorted, you can sort it in the next step.
How should
the new variable groups be created in the new file?
In the original data, a
variable appears in a single column. In the new data file, that variable will appear
in multiple new columns. Index variables are variables in the current data that the
wizard sh
ould use to create the new columns. The restructured data will contain one
new variable for each unique value in these columns. Move the variables that should
be used to form the new variable groups to the Index Variable(s) list. When the wizard
present
s options, you can also choose to order the new columns by index.
What happens to the other columns? The wizard automatically decides what to do
with the variables that remain in the Current File list. It checks each variable to see
if the da
ta values vary within a case group. If they do, the wizard restructures the
values into a variable group in the new file. If they don’t, the wizard copies the
values into the new file.
Restructure Data Wizard (Cases to Variables): Sort Data
Note: The wizard presents this step if you choose to restructure case groups into
columns.
In this step, decide whether to sort the current file before restructuring it. Each
time th
e wizard encounters a new combination of identification values, a new row
is created, so it is important that the data are sorted by the variables that identify
case groups.