ITEM1= column number of first response = (required)

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.

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

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 ^.

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