DELIMITERS subcommand (GET DATA command)

The DELIMITERS subcommand applies to delimited data (ARRANGEMENT=DELIMITED) only. It specifies the characters to read as delimiters between data values.

• Each delimiter can be only a single character, except for the specification of a tab or a backslash as a delimiter (see below).
• The list of delimiters must be enclosed in quotes.
• There should be no spaces or other delimiters between delimiter specifications, except for a space that indicates a space as a delimiter.
• To specify a tab as a delimiter use "\t". This must be the first delimiter specified.
• To specify a backslash as a delimiter, use two backslashes ("\\"). This must be the first delimiter specified unless you also specify a tab as a delimiter, in which case the backslash specification should come second—immediately after the tab specification.

Missing data with delimited data. Multiple delimiters without any intervening data indicate missing data. This includes multiple consecutive spaces.

Example

DELIMITERS "\t\\ ,;"

In this example, tabs, backslashes, spaces, commas, and semicolons will be read as delimiters between data values.