VARIABLES Subcommand (RANK command)

VARIABLES specifies the variables to be ranked.

  • VARIABLES is required and must be the first specification on RANK. The minimum specification is a single numeric variable. To rank more than one variable, specify a variable list.
  • After the variable list, you can specify the direction for ranking in parentheses. Specify A for ascending (smallest value gets smallest rank) or D for descending (largest value gets smallest rank). A is the default.
  • To rank some variables in ascending order and others in descending order, use both A and D in the same variable list. A or D applies to all preceding variables in the list up to the previous A or D specification.
  • To organize ranks into subgroups, specify keyword BY followed by the variable whose values determine the subgroups. The active dataset does not have to be sorted by this variable.
  • String variables cannot be specified. Use AUTORECODE to recode string variables for ranking.

Examples

RANK VARIABLES=MURDERS ROBBERY (D).
  • RANK ranks MURDERS and ROBBERY and creates two new variables in the active dataset: RMURDERS and RROBBERY.
  • D specifies descending order of rank. D applies to both MURDERS and ROBBERY. 
    RANK VARIABLES=MURDERS (D) ROBBERY (A) BY ETHNIC.
  • Ranks are computed within each group defined by ETHNIC. MURDERS is ranked in descending order and ROBBERY in ascending order within each group of ETHNIC. The active dataset does not have to be sorted by ETHNIC.