CREATE Subcommand (OLAP CUBES command)

CREATE allows you to calculate and display arithmetic and percentage differences between groups or between variables. You can also define labels for these difference categories.

GAC (gvar(cat1 cat2)). Arithmetic difference (change) in the summary variable(s) statistics between each specified pair of grouping variable categories. The keyword must be followed by a grouping variable name specified in parentheses, and the variable name must be followed by one or more pairs of grouping category values. Each pair of values must be enclosed in parentheses inside the parentheses that contain the grouping variable name. String values must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. You can specify multiple pairs of category values, but you can only specify one grouping variable, and the grouping variable must be one of the grouping variables specified at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command, after the BY keyword. The difference calculated is the summary statistic value for the second category specified minus the summary statistic value for the first category specified: cat2 – cat1.

GPC (gvar(cat1 cat2)). Percentage difference (change) in the summary variable(s) statistics between each specified pair of grouping variable categories. The keyword must be followed by a grouping variable name enclosed in parentheses, and the variable name must be followed by one or more pairs of grouping category values. Each pair of values must be enclosed in parentheses inside the parentheses that contain the grouping variable name. String values must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. You can specify multiple pairs of category values, but you can only specify one grouping variable, and the grouping variable must be one of the grouping variables specified at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command, after the BY keyword. The percentage difference calculated is the summary statistic value for the second category specified minus the summary statistic value for the first category specified, divided by the summary statistic value for the first category specified: (cat2 – cat1)/cat1.

VAC(svar1 svar2). Arithmetic difference (change) in summary statistics between each pair of specified summary variables. Each pair of variables must be enclosed in parentheses, and all specified variables must be specified as summary variables at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command. The difference calculated is the summary statistic value for the second variable specified minus the summary statistic value for the first variable specified: svar2 – svar1.

VPC(svar1 svar2). Percentage difference (change) in summary statistics between each pair of specified summary variables. Each pair of variables must be enclosed in parentheses, and all specified variables must be specified as summary variables at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command. The percentage difference calculated is the summary statistic value for the second variable specified minus the summary statistic value for the first variable specified: (svar2 – svar1)/svar1.

’category label’. Optional label for each difference category created. These labels must be the first specification in the CREATE subcommand. Each label must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. If no labels are specified, defined value or variable labels are used. If no labels are defined, data values or variable names are displayed. If multiple differences are created, the order of the labels corresponds to the order the differences are specified. To mix custom labels with default labels, use the keyword DEFAULT for the difference categories without custom labels.

Both arithmetic and percentage differences can be specified in the same command, but you cannot specify both grouping variable differences (GAC/GPC) and summary variable differences (VAC/VPC) in the same command.

Example 

OLAP CUBES
 sales96   BY region
 /CELLS=SUM NPCT
 /CREATE GAC GPC (region (1 3) (2 3)).
  • Both the arithmetic (GAC) and percentage (GPC) differences will be calculated.
  • Differences will be calculated for two different pairs of categories of the grouping variable region.
  • The grouping variable specified in the CREATE subcommand, region, is also specified as a grouping variable at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command.

Example 

OLAP CUBES
 sales95 sales96   BY region
 /CELLS=SUM NPCT
 /CREATE VAC VPC (sales95 sales96).
  • Both the arithmetic (VAC) and percentage (VPC) differences will be calculated.
  • The difference calculated will be sales96 - sales95.
  • The percentage difference calculated will be (sales96 - sales95)/sales95.
  • The two variables, sales95 and sales96 are also specified as summary variables at the beginning of the OLAP CUBES command.

Example 

OLAP CUBES
 sales96   BY region
 /CELLS=SUM NPCT
 /CREATE DEFAULT 'West-East GPC'  DEFAULT 'West-Central % Difference'
 GAC GPC (region (1 3) (2 3)).
  • Four labels are specified, corresponding to the four difference categories that will be created: arithmetic and percentage differences between regions 3 and 1 and between regions 3 and 2.
  • The two DEFAULT labels will display the defined value labels or values if there aren’t any value labels for the two arithmetic (GAC) difference categories.