Help System (web edition)

Dealing with long names of variables

Names of variables in Survo data files consist of max. 8 character
identifier and of its extension (more accurate description, format,
etc.). The identifier part must be started by a letter and other
characters are typically letters and numbers. Characters like
+-*/()[]{},!"'?>< should be avoided.

Survo data files are often created from text files containg the names of
variables as the first line and the actual data lines thereafter.
The names and data values in those text files are separated typically
by spaces or tab characters. In the latter case the names (and sometimes
also the string values) may consist of long strings which often are
not valid as names of variables in Survo data files.
For example, the 8 first characters (the identifiers) may be identical
for two or more variables.

From version 3.12 of SURVO MM an improved strategy as been adopted in
FILE SAVE operation for naming the variables so that the identifiers
become unique (by altering the last character when needed) and by
inserting the complete name plus format as an extension to the complete
name.
The old convention may be preserved by giving a specification
CHECK_VAR_NAMES=0 in connection with FILE SAVE.

  S = More information on FILE SAVE