Thanks!!!
Main Topics
Browse All TopicsThe Variable View tab allows you to set the following items:
Name (Variable name)
Type (Data type)
Width (Number of digits or characters)
Decimals (Number of decimal places)
Label (Descriptive variable)
What are the commands to set these items programmatically?
I already have the 'VALUE LABELS' to set the Values.
This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.
Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.
If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.
Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.
Access the answers to your technology questions today.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Try it out and discover for yourself.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: richdiesalPosted on 2009-06-14 at 11:49:58ID: 24624652
You should be able to set the variable name when you create the variable (e.g. COMPUTE newvarname = oldvarname.). I'm unaware of any way to change the name syntactically once you've created it. But you could always create a new variable with the right name and then delete the old one.
Data types, width, and decimals can be defined using the ALTER TYPE command. For example, to convert var1 to a numeric format with width 5 and 2 decimals, you'd use: ALTER TYPE var1 (F5.2). To convert var1 to a string, you'd use: ALTER TYPE var1 (A). The variable type conventions are a little weird - A represents alphanumeric (string), F represents standard numeric, N is restricted numeric, and E is scientific notation. If you need others, look in your SPSS syntax manual (Command Syntax Reference in the Help menu) for the full list and formats (dates in particular are a little strange).
Labels are simply: VARIABLE LABELS varname 'This is a label'.