Variable Type

Variable Type specifies the data type for each variable. By default, all new variables are assumed to be numeric. You can use Variable Type to change the data type. The contents of the Variable Type dialog box depend on the selected data type. For some data types, there are text boxes for width and number of decimals; for other data types, you can simply select a format from a scrollable list of examples.

Data Types
Numeric Comma Dot Scientific Notation Date Dollar Custom Currency String

Numeric

A variable whose values are numbers. Values are displayed in standard numeric format. The Data Editor accepts numeric values in standard format or in scientific notation.

Comma
A numeric variable whose values are displayed with commas delimiting every three places and displayed with the period as a decimal delimiter. The Data Editor accepts numeric values for comma variables with or without commas or in scientific notation. Values cannot contain commas to the right of the decimal indicator.

Dot
A numeric variable whose values are displayed with periods delimiting every three places and with the comma as a decimal delimiter. The Data Editor accepts numeric values for dot variables with or without periods or in scientific notation. Values cannot contain periods to the right of the decimal indicator.

Scientific Notation
A numeric variable whose values are displayed with an embedded E and a signed power-of10 exponent. The Data Editor accepts numeric values for such variables with or without an exponent. The exponent can be preceded by E or D with an optional sign or by the sign alone--for example, 123, 1.23E2, 1.23D2, 1.23E+2, and 1.23+2.

Date
A numeric variable whose values are displayed in one of several calendar-date or clock-time formats. Select a format from the list. You can enter dates with slashes, hyphens, periods, commas, or blank spaces as delimiters. The century range for two-digit year values is determined by your Options settings (from the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Data tab).

Dollar A numeric variable displayed with a leading dollar sign ($), commas delimiting every three places, and a period as the decimal delimiter. You can enter data values with or without the leading dollar sign.

Custom Currency
A numeric variable whose values are displayed in one of the custom currency formats that you have defined on the Currency tab of the Options dialog box. Defined custom currency characters cannot be used in data entry but are displayed in the Data Editor.

String
A variable whose values are not numeric and therefore are not used in calculations. The values can contain any characters up to the defined length. Uppercase and lowercase letters are considered distinct. This type is also known as an alphanumeric variable.

Variable Lables
You can assign descriptive variable labels up to 256 characters. Variable labels can contain spaces and reserved characters that are not allowed in variable names.

Value Labels
You can assign descriptive value labels for each value of a variable. This process is particularly useful if your data file uses numeric codes to represent non-numeric categories (for example, codes of 1 and 2 for male and female). Value labels are saved with the data file. You do not need to redefine value labels each time you open a data file. Value labels can be up to 120 bytes.

Missing Values
Missing Values defines specified data values as user-missing. For example, you might want to distinguish between data that are missing because a respondent refused to answer and data that are missing because the question didn't apply to that respondent. Data values that are specified as user-missing are flagged for special treatment and are excluded from most calculations.

Contd..
User-missing value specifications are saved with the data file. You do not need to redefine usermissing values each time you open the data file. You can enter up to three discrete (individual) missing values, a range of missing values, or a range plus one discrete value. Ranges can be specified only for numeric variables. All string values, including null or blank values, are considered to be valid unless you explicitly define them as missing.

Contd
Missing values for string variables cannot exceed eight bytes. (There is no limit on the defined width of the string variable, but defined missing values cannot exceed eight bytes.) To define null or blank values as missing for a string variable, enter a single space in one of the fields under the Discrete missing values selection.

Column Widh
You can specify a number of characters for the column width. Column widths can also be changed in Data View by clicking and dragging the column borders. Column formats affect only the display of values in the Data Editor. Changing the column width does not change the defined width of a variable.

Variable Alignment Alignment controls the display of data values and/or value labels in Data View. The default alignment is right for numeric variables and left for string variables. This setting affects only the display in Data View.

Scale of Measurement
Nominal Scale Ordinal Scale Interval Scale Ratio Scale

Nominal Scale
Numbers are used simply as labels for group or classes Male or Female 0 or 1 Numbers printed on the dress of cricketers Addresses Least powerful level of measurement It indicates no order or distance relationship and has no arithmetic origin We are restricted to use mode as the measure of central tendency There is no generally used measure of dispersion for nominal scales Chi-square test is the most common test of statistical significance The scales wastes any information that we may have about varying degrees of attitudes, skills understandings etc.

Ordinal Scale
Data elements are ordered according to their relative size or quality In this scale of measurement, we do not know how much better one product is than others, only that is better. Only few mathematical operations can be performed It implies a statement of greater than or less than without being able to state how much greater or less Median is the appropriate measure of central tendency Percentile or quartile is used for measuring dispersion Non parametric methods

Interval Scale
The value of zero is assigned arbitrarily and ratios of two measurements can not be taken. However, ratios of intervals can be taken Example: time of the day is the interval scale. We can not say 10:00 pm is twice as long as 5:00 pm. But we can say that interval between 0:00 am (mid night) and 10:00 am,(duration 10 hrs.) is twice as long as the interval between 0:00 am to 5:00 am (duration 5 hrs.) Powerful measurement than ordinal scale

Ratio Scale
In this scale of measurement, we can take the ratios of the measurements. Zero in this scale is an absolute zero. Example: money is measured in a ratio scale. A sum of Rs. 1lacs is twice as large as Rs. 50,000. Other examples are weight volume, area or length