Declaring missing values for string variables

[khei...@cox.net]

Page 95 of the SPSS Base 14.0 User's Guide has a useful tip on how to
declare missing values for string variables:

"All string values, including null or blank values, are considered to
be valid unless you explicitly define them as missing. 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."

I was excited to try out this tip as I've always wanted to have a way
to declare missing values for string variables (e.g., blank values,
string values of "NA", etc.). But for string variables, the Missing
cell (in Variable View) is greyed out and inaccessible. The above tip
suggests otherwise.

What am I missing?

Kurt

[klange]

Hi Kurt,

Missing values can only be defined for "short string" variables. That
is, string variables that have a width of 8 or less. If they are longer
than 8 then the Missing field will be unavailable as you have observed.

Hope this helps.

Kylie.