missingValues Property (Python)

The missingValues property of a Variable object gets or sets user-missing values. The missing values are specified as a tuple or list of four elements where the first element specifies the missing value type: 0,1,2, or 3 for that number of discrete values, -2 for a range of values, and -3 for a range of values and a single discrete value. The remaining three elements specify the missing values. When getting missing values, the result is returned as a tuple with this same structure.

  • For string variables, returned values are right-padded to the defined width of the string variable.
  • To specify LO and HI in missing value ranges, use the values returned by the spss.GetSPSSLowHigh function.
Table 1. Specifications for missing values
missingVals[0] missingVals[1] missingVals[2] missingVals[3]
-3 Start point of range End point of range Discrete value
-2 Start point of range End point of range None
0 None None None
1 Discrete value None None
2 Discrete value Discrete value None
3 Discrete value Discrete value Discrete value

Examples

In the following examples, varObj is an instance of the Variable class.

Get the user-missing values.

missingVals = varObj.missingValues

Specify the discrete missing values 0 and 9 for a numeric variable.

varObj.missingValues = [2,0,9,None]

Specify the range of missing values 9–99 for a numeric variable.

varObj.missingValues = [-2,9,99,None]

Specify the range of missing values 9–99 and the discrete missing value 0 for a numeric variable.

varObj.missingValues = [-3,9,99,0]

Specify two missing values for a string variable.

varObj.missingValues = [2,' ','NA',None]

Clear all missing values

varObj.missingValues = [0,None,None,None]