Recode into Same Variables: Old and New Values

You can define values to recode in this dialog box. All value specifications must be the same data type (numeric or string) as the variables selected in the main dialog box.

Old Value. The value(s) to be recoded. You can recode single values, ranges of values, and missing values. System-missing values and ranges cannot be selected for string variables because neither concept applies to string variables. Ranges include their endpoints and any user-missing values that fall within the range.

• Value. Individual old value to be recoded into a new value. The value must be the same data type (numeric or string) as the variable(s) being recoded.
• System-missing. Values assigned by the program when values in your data are undefined according to the format type you have specified, when a numeric field is blank, or when a value resulting from a transformation command is undefined. Numeric system-missing values are displayed as periods. String variables cannot have system-missing values, since any character is legal in a string variable.
• System- or user-missing. Observations with values that either have been defined as user-missing values or are unknown and have been assigned the system-missing value, which is indicated with a period (.).
• Range. Inclusive range of values. Not available for string variables. Any user-missing values within the range are included.
• All other values. Any remaining values not included in one of the specifications on the Old-New list. This appears as ELSE on the Old-New list.

New Value. The single value into which each old value or range of values is recoded. You can enter a value or assign the system-missing value.

• Value. Value into which one or more old values will be recoded. The value must be the same data type (numeric or string) as the old value.
• System-missing. Recodes specified old values into the system-missing value. The system-missing value is not used in calculations, and cases with the system-missing value are excluded from many procedures. Not available for string variables.

Old–>New. The list of specifications that will be used to recode the variable(s). You can add, change, and remove specifications from the list. The list is automatically sorted, based on the old value specification, using the following order: single values, missing values, ranges, and all other values. If you change a recode specification on the list, the procedure automatically re-sorts the list, if necessary, to maintain this order.