Specifies the column position where the response-string begins in your data file record, or the column where the response-string begins in the new record formatted by FORMAT=.

If you have the choice, put the person-identifiers first in each record, and then the item responses with each response taking one column.

 

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Error messages regarding ITEM1= may be because your control file is not in "Text with line breaks" format.

 

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It is easy to miscount the ITEM1= column. Scroll to the top of the Winsteps screen and check column positions:

 

 Input in process..

Input Data Record:

         1         2

1234567890123456789012345678

Richard M 111111100000000000

^P        ^I               ^N

       35 KID    Records Input.

 

^P marks the Name1=1 column position with ^.

^I marks the Item1=11 column position with ^.

^N marks the NI=18 column position with ^.

 

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Example 1: The string of 56 items is contained in columns 20 to 75 of your data file.

 ITEM1=20  response to item 1 in column 20

 NI=56   for 56 items

 XWIDE=1  one column wide (the standard)

 

Example 2: The string of 100 items is contained in columns 30 to 69 of the first record, 11 to 70 of the second record, followed by 10 character person i.d.

 XWIDE=1  one column wide (the standard)

 FORMAT=(T30,40A,/,T11,60A,10A) two records per person

 ITEM1=1  item 1 in column 1 of reformatted record

 NI=100   for 100 items

 NAME1=101  person id starts in column 101

 NAMLEN=10  person id starts in 10 columns wide