String Variables
String variables are variables that hold zero or more characters such as letters, numbers, spaces, commas and many more. You can't use numeric functions such as addition or subtraction on string variables. You can, however, extract one or more characters (a substring) from them, glue them together (concatenate) and a couple of other functions.
Like so, working with string variables in SPSS is super easy: you just need to know and combine the right building blocks. These are explained and demonstrated in the tutorials listed below. Enjoy!
SPSS String Variables
How to Convert String Variables into Numeric Ones?
Convert SPSS string variables into numeric ones the right way. Quickly master the trick with this step-by-step example with downloadable practice data. Read More
SPSS String Variables Basics
String variables are variables that hold zero or more text characters. This tutorial demonstrates their main properties by running simple examples on a test data file. Read More
SPSS String Variables Tutorial
Working with string variables in SPSS is pretty straightforward if one masters some basic string functions. This tutorial will quickly walk you through the most important ones. Read More
SPSS String Functions
SPSS INDEX Function
The SPSS INDEX function returns the position of the first occurrence of a given expression within a string. If this expression does not occur in the string, it returns a zero. Read More
SPSS LTRIM Function
SPSS LTRIM removes leading spaces from string values. These occur especially when converting numbers to strings by using the string function. Read More
SPSS REPLACE Function
SPSS REPLACE replaces a substring in a string by a different (possibly empty) substring. Read More
SPSS RINDEX Function
The rindex function returns the position of the last occurrence of a substring (often a single character) in a string. If the substring is not present at all, it returns 0. Read More
SPSS RTRIM Function
SPSS Rtrim is sometimes needed for removing trailing spaces when concatenating strings. This tutorial shows some complications that may occur when it's omitted. Read More