Introduction
For information on the menu interface see CL window and menu
Specialist data processing agencies often use the Command Language directly by entering the command language instruction files (set-up files) in full. Menu users wishing to "tweak" their tables may prefer to take the set-up files produced through the menus and make the final changes.
Facilities available within the command language include:
Data entry
Data editing and listing
Cross-tabulation with full labeling
Comprehensive weighting
Table manipulation
Table-based statistics
Exports (tables and data)
Your instructions are held in a file called the set-up file. The instructions are written in a high-level computer language, known as the Command Language.
There are four steps to running a set-up: Compile, Execute, Print and Export.
Compile checks the set-up for syntax and grammar. There is a powerful pre-processor that can be used.
Execute runs the compiled instructions - reads data, increments tables and manipulates tables.
Print outputs the tables with the appropriate text elements to a text file suitable for printing.
Export outputs the data for use with other programs.
For further information please see the following sections: