This is probably known, but SPSS will stop on some errors. If the GET DATA command fails, it will stop at the first routine that requires a dataset. I think it will also stop on a duplicate key when merging files by a condition.
I don't think it stops on errors like divide-by-zero (i.e., where I've generated the D-B-Z error in a COMPUTE statement). I think it would generate warnings if my specification didn't match the data in a GET DATA statement, and only up to some limit. I agree with Frans, in a large dataset, this could generate a huge number of warnings. Missing values are a common problem. I had a problem recently where I needed to add a BOM to UTF8 data files or else SPSS will complain each time it reads a wide char (all because some of the survey responses used an mdash instead of a hyphen to represent a range, like 3-5!). -Alan On 11/16/2019 1:51 AM, Frans Houweling wrote: > Hi Ben, > GET DATA on csv files is the main source, like when missing values are > coded "NA" or ":". > Plus I do make the ehm occasional mistake - but as what I do wrong in > the first record I do wrong in all the following records too, I always > reach MXWARNS. I can see some justification for halting in the case of > vector index out of bounds, but other errors like divide by zero cause > no harm at all, like the GET DATA case. > So if I could decide, I would vote for continue syntax processing. > Thanks > frans > > > On 11/16/19 4:35 AM, Ben Pfaff wrote: >> I'm a little surprised you're receiving so many warnings. Is that a >> problem of its own? What's the underlying cause? >> >> On Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 12:36 PM Frans Houweling <fhouwel...@email.it >> <mailto:fhouwel...@email.it>> wrote: >> >> Correction: syntax processing does stop - only not in the first >> procedure. Bad! >> frans >> >> On 11/15/19 8:47 PM, Frans Houweling wrote: >> >> > Hi, >> > I often see this message >> > "note: Warnings (n+1) exceed limit (n). Syntax processing >> will be >> > halted." >> > Luckily, syntax processing seems to go on anyway. I think the >> message >> > should just say "No more warnings will be issued" and syntax >> > processing should not be halted. >> > I am aware SET MXWARNS=0 suppresses all warnings - but I like to >> see >> > at least one (or possibly one per type). >> > Greetings >> > frans >> > >> -- Alan D. Mead, Ph.D. President, Talent Algorithms Inc. science + technology = better workers http://www.alanmead.org "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -- Robert A. Heinlein
