11.20 VECTOR

Two possible syntaxes:
        VECTOR vec_name=var_list.
        VECTOR vec_name_list(count [format]).

VECTOR allows a group of variables to be accessed as if they were consecutive members of an array with a vector(index) notation.

To make a vector out of a set of existing variables, specify a name for the vector followed by an equals sign (‘=’) and the variables to put in the vector. The variables must be all numeric or all string, and string variables must have the same width.

To make a vector and create variables at the same time, specify one or more vector names followed by a count in parentheses. This will create variables named vec1 through veccount. By default, the new variables are numeric with format F8.2, but an alternate format may be specified inside the parentheses before or after the count and separated from it by white space or a comma. With a string format such as A8, the variables will be string variables; with a numeric format, they will be numeric. Variable names including the suffixes may not exceed 64 characters in length, and none of the variables may exist prior to VECTOR.

Vectors created with VECTOR disappear after any procedure or procedure-like command is executed. The variables contained in the vectors remain, unless they are scratch variables (see Scratch Variables).

Variables within a vector may be referenced in expressions using vector(index) syntax.