SPECIAL, SUSPEND and TERMINATE Block Related

These are SPECIAL statements that can force a suspend at a particular question, read suspended comments, force the use of the special block and capture the questions where a Terminate, Suspend or Special execute.

Valid Subtypes

  • Force_Suspend
  • Get_Question_Label_Come_From
  • Goto_Special_Block
  • Read_Suspend_Comment

FORCE_SUSPEND

Shortform: SPC,FORCESUSPEND

This command does a programmatic SUSPEND on the next question. No location or width can be specified on the question label line. This option does not work in Practice mode. The interview will be resumed at the next question.

The syntax for the SPECIAL,FORCE_SUSPEND question type is:

!SPECIAL,FORCE_SUSPEND

GET_QUESTION_LABEL_COME_FROM

Shorform: SPC,GETQUESTIONLABEL

This command stores the question number or label of the previously executed question. You can use this as the first question in a Terminate, Suspend, or Special block to quickly know at what point in the questionnaire the respondent went into this block; the number or label stored is the question the interviewer was on when they typed the keyword or the question that caused the program to jump that block. In other parts of the questionnaire, it stores the last question that was “IF tested” (true or false) or asked, whichever is the most recent.

If the previously executed question has a label, the label is stored (whether or not there is a question number). If there is no label, the question number will be stored (whether or not there is a user assigned question number). If the question number is stored, it will be in the format of QQ#.##. (For example, .5=QQ000.50, 1=QQ001.00, 23.5=QQ023.50).

This subtype requires at least eight data columns. Specifying less will generate an error message. You can control the width on the question label line.

The syntax for the SPECIAL,GETQUESTIONLABEL_COME_FROM question type is:

!SPECIAL,GET_QUESTION_LABEL_COME_FROM,ANTEPREV

Adding the option ANTEPREV after the !SPECIAL, GET_QUESTION_LABEL_COME_FROM gets the label of the question prior to the last question you executed. This is useful, for example, if the interviewer has suspended or terminated; the SPECIAL, GET_QUESTION_LABEL_COME_FROM,ANTEPREV will get the label of the question that they last entered data for before they SUSPENDED or TERMINATED.

GOTO_SPECIAL_BLOCK

Shortform: SPC,GOTOSPECIALBLOCK

This command executes the Special block of questions immediately. No location or width can be specified on the question label line.

READ_SUSPEND_COMMENT

Shortform: SPC,READSUSPENDCOMMENT

This command copies from the data to the suspend comment. This is useful in a Suspend block so the suspend text can be obtained in a customized way. If used, the prompt for the suspend comment will not come up.

The syntax for the SPECIAL,READ_SUSPEND_COMMENT question type is:

!SPECIAL,READ_SUSPEND_COMMENT,label or location,length

The label or location is where you are copying data from (either from a question label or a data location) and the length is for how long the comment is.

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