Syntax Rules (RECODE command)

The variables to be recoded must already exist and must be specified before the value specifications.
Value specifications are enclosed in parentheses. The original value or values must be specified to the left of an equals sign. A single new value is specified to the right of the equals sign.
Multiple values can be consolidated into a single recoded value by specifying, to the left of the equals sign, a list of values separated by blanks or commas. Only one recoded value per set is allowed to the right of the equals sign.
Multiple sets of value specifications are permitted. Each set must be enclosed in parentheses and can result in only one new value.
To recode multiple variables using the same set of value specifications, specify a variable list before the value specifications. Each variable in the list is recoded identically.
To recode variables using different value specifications, separate each variable (or variable list) and its specifications from the others by a slash.
Original values that are not specified remain unchanged unless the keyword ELSE or INTO is used to recode into a new variable. ELSE refers to all original values not previously mentioned, including the system-missing value. ELSE should be the last specification for the variable. When recoding INTO another variable, unspecified values are set to system-missing or blank for strings.
COPY replicates original values without recoding them.
INTO is required to recode a string variable into a numeric variable or a numeric variable into a string variable.