assertion failed?

[Alan Mead]

I was showing my son how to use PSPP to analyze some survey data and I
crashed PSPP. I'm using GNU pspp 1.2.0-g0fb4db on Windows 7 (yeah, I
know). This happens reliably for me. A mingw window pops up saying an
assertion failed:



The text reads:

Assertion failed!

Program: C:\Program Files\PSPP\bin\PSPPIRE.exe
File: src/data/case.c, Line 476

Expression: caseproto_get_width(c->proto, case_idx) == var_get_width(v)

Steps to replicate:

*Step 1.* Download this SPSS system file of survey data:
https://faunalytics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Faunalytics-Current-Former-Veg-Study-Dataset-All-Respondents-Original-Variables.sav
(Described on this page:
https://faunalytics.org/dataset-study-of-current-and-former-vegetarians-and-vegans/)

*Step 2: *Find VEG_RECIDIVISTS_1_SQ001 in the data editor variable view
(row 66) and change the Type to numeric (leave the default %2.0f)

*Step 3:* Open a new syntax file (File > New > Syntax) and paste these
two FREQ routines

FREQUENCIES
    /VARIABLES= VEG_RECIDIVISTS_1_SQ001 to VEG_RECIDIVISTS_1_SQ010
    /FORMAT=AVALUE TABLE.

FREQUENCIES
    /VARIABLES= VEGAN_RECIDIVISTS_1_SQ001 to VEGAN_RECIDIVISTS_1_SQ010
    /FORMAT=AVALUE TABLE.

*Step 4:* Run this syntax twice (Run > all, then Run > all again). The
assertion pops and PSPPIRE closes when you select Abort.

If you omit Step 2, it doesn't seem to occur, so I guess there's some
issue changing the type. (I know, BTW, that changing the type is a bad
idea because it forces all the data in that variable to be missing.)

-Alan

-- 

Alan D. Mead, Ph.D.
President, Talent Algorithms Inc.

science + technology = better workers

http://www.alanmead.org


A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is
putting on its shoes.

-- Mark Twain