Numeric variables

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Numeric variables

Numeric variables are largely superseded by derived variables. They may still be used in merged or repeated surveys to remove a legacy variable from view in questionnaire design and data entry while retaining its current values.

Numeric variables are used to analyse variables that contain numbers (digits, plus/minus sign and/or a decimal point). You can use them to map numeric values to coded values or to quantity values (single, multiple or quantity response types). Numeric variables get data from a source (which can be another variable or a position in the data file).


Source	A variable name or a position range in the raw data file.
Length	A number between 1 and 10 to represent the length of the field being captured. If this is greater than the position range that you gave as the Source, the Source will change to match.
Code labels and values	You may have up to 2000 codes. Code labels and code values can be up to 100 characters in length. Code values represent the valid numeric data as single items, ranges of items or a combination of both. When lists of numbers are specified, use commas, e.g. 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25. When ranges of numbers are specified, use the word "to" or the tilde sign (~), e.g. 1~17, 18 to 25. Although the minus sign can be used in the code label, e.g. 18-25, it must not be used in the code value to represent "to" as it will be regarded as a calculation, subtracting 25 from 18. For example, a numeric single variable could be defined:
	Code Label	Value
	Under 18	1 to 17
	18-25	18 to 25
	Over 25	26 to 110

Numeric variables are not visible on a published questionnaire or in the Questionnaire, Interview or Prompted mode of data entry.

You cannot import data into a numeric variable

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