User Guide

42
Chapter 3
Text Wizard Step 2
Figure 3-16
Text W i za r d S
tep 2
This step provides information about variables. A variable is similar to a field in a
database. For example, each item in a questionnaire is a variable.
How are your variables arranged? To read your data properly, the Text Wizard needs to
know how to determine where the data value for one variable ends and the data value
for the next variable begins. The arrangement of variables defines the method used to
differentiate one variable from the next.
 Delimited. Spaces, commas, tabs, or other characters are used to separate
variables. The variables are recorded in the same order for each case but not
necessarily in the same column locations.
 Fixed width. Each variable is recorded in the same column location on the same
record (line) for each case in the data file. No delimiter is required between
variables. In fact, in many text data files generated by computer programs, data