RENAME Subcommand (UPDATE command)

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

• RENAME applies only to the immediately preceding FILE subcommand. To rename variables from more than one input file, specify a RENAME subcommand after each FILE 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

UPDATE FILE='/data/primary.sav' /FILE=CLIENTS
  /RENAME=(TEL_NO, ID_NO = PHONE, ID)
  /BY ID.

• UPDATE updates the primary phone list by using current information from the file CLIENTS.
• Two variables on CLIENTS are renamed prior to the match. TEL_NO is renamed PHONE to match the name used for phone numbers in the primary file. ID_NO 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.
• The old variable names are listed before the equals sign, and the new variable names are listed in the same order after the equals sign. The parentheses are required.
• The BY subcommand matches cases according to client ID numbers.