seems to be related to a misunderstanding of how DATA LIST FREE with
explicit delimiters works in SPSS.

I'm attaching some syntax that probes how this really works.  I'd
appreciate it if anyone with SPSS would run it and show me the output.

Important: some of the lines in the syntax file end with tabs.  Some
editors will strip trailing white space, so be careful to just save the
syntax file directly and open it in SPSS.

Thank you very much!  This will help make PSPP better.
data list free(',')/x y z.
begin data.
1,2,3
4,5,6
7,8,9
end data.
list.

data list free(',')/x y z.
begin data.
11,12,13,
14,15,16,
17,18,19,
end data.
list.

data list free(tab)/x y z.
begin data.
21	22	23
24	25	26
27	28	29
end data.
list.

data list free(tab)/x y z.
begin data.
31	32	33	
34	35	36	
37	38	39	
end data.
list.