Reference > Commands

The SERIAL command is as follows:

SERIAL NUMBER,

SERIAL NUMBER IN field,

SERIAL NUMBER IN COLUMNS col - col,

SERIAL IDENTIFIER IN field,

SERIAL IDENTIFIER IN COLUMNS col - col,

For CSV data (see RCP CSVDATA):

SERIAL NUMBER,

SERIAL NUMBER 'text',

SERIAL NUMBER "text",

For CSV data, if text is present, the program will expect the serial number column to use this heading (not case sensitive). If this column is not found it will search for a column headed SERIAL or IOBS to use as the serial number.

Note that a $ is optional before the column numbers in a serial command.

The SERIAL command may appear only once, in the Data Stage, after START DATA and before the first executable command. It is non-executable and serves to inform CL where the serial number is located on the input data records. Defining a serial field is optional, unless a CARD NUMBERS command is present or the EREC parameter is used on a READ command.

IMPORTANT: if the serial number is above 80 the CARD CHARACTERS command must appear before the SERIAL command.

There may be up to 15 data locations specified in a SERIAL NUMBER and up to 25 in a SERIAL IDENTIFIER.

Using a serial number defines a logical record for the purposes of automatic data reading or for use with the parameter EREC on the READ command. A logical record is taken to be a sequence of records all having the same serial number.

Note that serial numbers containing V and X punches, or any multi-punches are regarded in CL as serial identifiers, and the SERIAL IDENTIFIER command must be used. SERIAL NUMBER and SERIAL IDENTIFIER commands cannot appear in the same CL script.

TIP: Serial numbers may contain leading or trailing blanks.

If the SERIAL NUMBER command is present, the ivar $IOBS is set automatically to the number found in the specified data locations. If the SERIAL NUMBER command is not present, $IOBS is not available. $IOBS behaves in all ways as a normal ivar, and is saved and can be referenced in the Tables Stage.

When using the SERIAL NUMBER command, if a card is read that does not contain a valid integer number in the specified data locations (if it contains V or X codes, or multi-codes) then the card is rejected. The message FAULTY SERIAL NUMBER together with a representation of the record (invalid multi-codes interpreted as the character "?") are written to the Report file.

Examples of SERIAL commands:

serial number in $5-7,

serial identifier in $1-5,

With CSVDATA:

serial number,

serial number 'Respondent number',