Re: INCLUDE FILE

[Ben Pfaff]

On Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 11:17:53PM +0000, Crichton, Ronald wrote:
> I've noticed a problem with the INCLUDE FILE function.  Please see the
> attachment.  The only difference between the two examples in the
> attachment is that in example 1 the select statement is placed on the
> line immediately following the comment, whereas in example 2 there is
> a space (carriage return) between the comment and select.  When the
> select statement follows the comment without a space PSPP behaves as
> though the select statement were commented out.  Note the difference
> in the frequencies function in each example.
> 
> Having discovered this issue the workaround is simple - leave a space.
> Though, unsuspecting users who are not aware of the problem may assume
> the select is functioning when it is not.

Syntax in the GUI is currently parsed in SPSS "interactive mode", which
means that a command ends with a line that ends with a period, or at the
first blank line.  A comment command is no different.  This means that
your first syntax comments out the INCLUDE command.

We could make the GUI parse syntax in PSPP's "auto" mode, which
generally does a pretty good job of guessing where one command ends and
the next begins.  This mode parses your file as you expect.