^Changes variable name, associated value label and variable label^ ^----------------------------------------------------------------^
^change^ varname s2 s3 s4
^Arguments:^ ^----------^
varname name of existing variable
s2 ^.^ the variable name remains the same string new variable name
s3 ^-^ removes value label ^.^ no change in value label ^blank^ no change in value label string (new) value label
s4 ^-^ removes variable label ^. ^ no change in variable label ^blank^ no change in variable label string new variable label (all other non-empty strings, unless starting or ending with a ^+^ sign) ^+^ string string will be attached after current variable label string ^+^ string will be attached preceding the current variable label
Note that the first 3 arguments are without embedded blanks. The last argument may contain blanks.
^Example:^ ^--------^ ^.change var1 stage - Stage of disease^
renames variable ^var1^ in ^stage^ removes any value label (if present) adds variable label ^Stage of disease^.
^.change stage . stage + [TNM]^
assigns value label ^stage^ to variable stage the variable label becomes ^Stage of disease [TNM] ^Author:^ ^-------^ Wim van Putten Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center Department of Statistics The Netherlands e-mail: w.vanputten@@erasmusmc.nl