Strings (PRINT command)

You can specify string values within the variable list. Strings must be enclosed in quotes.

  • If a format is specified for a variable list, the application of the format is interrupted by a specified string. Thus, the string has the same effect within a variable list as an asterisk.
  • Strings can be used to create column headings for the displayed variables. The PRINT command that specifies the column headings must be used within a DO IF-END IF structure. If you want the column headings to begin a new page in the output, use a PRINT EJECT command (rather than PRINT) to specify the headings (see PRINT EJECT).

Including Strings in the Output

PRINT / NAME 'HIRED=' MOHIRED(F2) '/' YRHIRED
             '  SALARY=' SALARY (DOLLAR8).
EXECUTE.
  • Three strings are specified. The strings HIRED= and SALARY= label the values being displayed. The slash that is specified between MOHIRED and YRHIRED creates a composite hiring date. The F2 format is supplied for variable MOHIRED in order to suppress the blank that would follow it if the dictionary format were used.
  • NAME and YRHIRED are displayed with default formats. The 'HIRED=' specification prevents the F2 format from applying to NAME, and the 'SALARY=' specification prevents the DOLLAR8 format from applying to YRHIRED.

Setting Up Column Headers

DO IF $CASENUM EQ 1.
PRINT /'   NAME ' 1 'DEPT' 25 'HIRED' 30 '  SALARY' 35.
END IF.
PRINT / NAME DEPT *
        MOHIRED 30-31 '/' YRHIRED *
        SALARY 35-42(DOLLAR).
EXECUTE.
  • The first PRINT command specifies strings only. The integer after each string specifies the beginning column number of the string. The strings will be used as column headings for the variables. DO IF $CASENUM EQ 1 causes the first PRINT command to be executed only once, as the first case is processed. END IF closes the structure.
  • The second PRINT command specifies the variables to be displayed. This command is executed once for each case in the data. Column locations are specified to align the values with the column headings. In this example, the T format element could also have been used to align the variables and the column headings. For example, MOHIRED (T30,F2) begins the display of values for variable MOHIRED in column 30.
  • The asterisk after DEPT prevents the format that is specified for MOHIRED from applying to NAME and DEPT. The asterisk after YRHIRED prevents the format that is specified for SALARY from applying to YRHIRED.