8.12 PRINT

PRINT
        [OUTFILE=’file_name’]
        [RECORDS=n_lines]
        [{NOTABLE,TABLE}]
        [ENCODING=’encoding’]
        [/[line_no] arg…]

arg takes one of the following forms:
        ’string’ [start]
        var_list start-end [type_spec]
        var_list (fortran_spec)
        var_list *

The PRINT transformation writes variable data to the listing file or an output file. PRINT is executed when a procedure causes the data to be read. Follow PRINT by EXECUTE to print variable data without invoking a procedure (see EXECUTE).

All PRINT subcommands are optional. If no strings or variables are specified, PRINT outputs a single blank line.

The OUTFILE subcommand specifies the file to receive the output. The file may be a file name as a string or a file handle (see File Handles). If OUTFILE is not present then output is sent to PSPP’s output listing file. When OUTFILE is present, the output is written to file_name in a plain text format, with a space inserted at beginning of each output line, even lines that otherwise would be blank.

The ENCODING subcommand may only be used if the OUTFILE subcommand is also used. It specifies the character encoding of the file. See INSERT, for information on supported encodings.

The RECORDS subcommand specifies the number of lines to be output. The number of lines may optionally be surrounded by parentheses.

TABLE will cause the PRINT command to output a table to the listing file that describes what it will print to the output file. NOTABLE, the default, suppresses this output table.

Introduce the strings and variables to be printed with a slash (‘/’). Optionally, the slash may be followed by a number indicating which output line is specified. In the absence of this line number, the next line number is specified. Multiple lines may be specified using multiple slashes with the intended output for a line following its respective slash.

Literal strings may be printed. Specify the string itself. Optionally the string may be followed by a column number, specifying the column on the line where the string should start. Otherwise, the string is printed at the current position on the line.

Variables to be printed can be specified in the same ways as available for DATA LIST FIXED (see DATA LIST FIXED). In addition, a variable list may be followed by an asterisk (‘*’), which indicates that the variables should be printed in their dictionary print formats, separated by spaces. A variable list followed by a slash or the end of command is interpreted in the same way.

If a FORTRAN type specification is used to move backwards on the current line, then text is written at that point on the line, the line is truncated to that length, although additional text being added will again extend the line to that length.