Defaults (REPORT command)

Column heads. REPORT uses variable labels as default column heads; if no variable labels have been specified, variable names are used. If ONEBREAKCOLUMN is ON, the default head for the first BREAK subcommand is used.

Column widths. Default column widths are determined by REPORT, using the maximum of the following for each column:

  • The widest print format in the column, whether it is a variable print format or a summary print format.
  • The width of any temporary variable defined with the STRING subcommand on REPORT.
  • If a column heading is assigned, the length of the longest title line in the heading when CHWRAP is off, and the longest word in the title when CHWRAP is on. Underscores, which are removed on printing, can be used to create longer words in the title.
  • When no column heading is specified, the length of the longest word in the variable label, or the length of the variable name.
  • If you specify LABEL on VARIABLES or BREAK, the length of the variable’s longest value label. If FORMAT=MANUAL is in effect, 20 is the maximum value used for this criterion.
  • The minimum column width is 8 when FORMAT=MANUAL; it can be less when FORMAT=AUTOMATIC.

Automatic fit. When the above criteria for column width result in a report that is too wide for the report margins, FORMAT=AUTOMATIC shrinks the report. AUTOMATIC performs the following two steps sequentially, stopping as soon as the report fits within the margins:

  1. AUTOMATIC reduces intercolumn spacing incrementally until it reaches a minimum intercolumn space of 1. It will never reduce it to 0.
  2. AUTOMATIC shortens widths for strings specified on the STRING subcommand or for value label strings when the LABEL option is specified. It begins with the longest string if that string is at least 15 characters wide and shortens the column width as much as needed (up to 40% of its length), wrapping the string within the new width. If necessary, it repeats the step, using different defined strings. It will not shorten the column width of the same string twice.

REPORT does not implement the automatic fit unless AUTOMATIC is specified on the FORMAT subcommand.

AUTOMATIC versus MANUAL defaults. Many default settings depend on whether you specify AUTOMATIC or MANUAL on FORMAT.

1 No effect when ONEBREAKCOLUMN is on.

2 LEFT when ONEBREAKCOLUMN is on.

3 0 when ONEBREAKCOLUMN is on.