RENAME Subcommand (MATCH FILES command)

RENAME renames variables on the input files before they are processed by MATCH FILES. RENAME must follow the FILE or TABLE subcommand that contains the variables to be renamed.

  • RENAME applies only to the immediately preceding FILE or TABLE subcommand. To rename variables from more than one input file, specify a RENAME subcommand after each FILE or TABLE subcommand.
  • Specifications for RENAME consist of a left parenthesis, a list of old variable names, an equals sign, a list of new variable names, and a right parenthesis. The two variable lists must name or imply the same number of variables. If only one variable is renamed, the parentheses are optional.
  • More than one rename specification can be specified on a single RENAME subcommand, each enclosed in parentheses.
  • The TO keyword can be used to refer to consecutive variables in the file and to generate new variable names.
  • RENAME takes effect immediately. Any KEEP and DROP subcommands entered prior to a RENAME must use the old names, while KEEP and DROP subcommands entered after a RENAME must use the new names.
  • All specifications within a single set of parentheses take effect simultaneously. For example, the specification RENAME (A,B = B,A) swaps the names of the two variables.
  • Variables cannot be renamed to scratch variables.

Example

MATCH FILES FILE='/data/update.sav' 
 /RENAME=(NEWID = ID)
 /FILE='/data/primary.sav' 
 /BY ID.
  • MATCH FILES matches a primary IBM® SPSS® Statistics data file (primary.sav) with an update data file (update.sav).
  • The variable NEWID in the update.sav file is renamed ID so that it will have the same name as the identification variable in the primary file and can be used on the BY subcommand.