Mplus Users Guide v6.. - Muthén & Muthén

TITLE, DATA, VARIABLE, And DEFINE Commandscan be used as missing value flags. There is no default missing valueflag. Numeric and non-numeric missing value flags cannot be combined.The blank cannot be used as a missing value flag for data in free format.When a list of missing value flags contains a negative number, theentries must be separated by commas.NON-NUMERIC MISSING VALUE FLAGSThe period, the asterisk (*), or the blank can be used as non-numericmissing value flags. Only one non-numeric missing value flag can beused for a particular data set. This missing value flag applies to allvariables in the data set. The blank cannot be used with free format data.With fixed format data, blanks in the data not declared as missing valueflags are treated as zeroes.The following command indicates that the period is the missing valueflag for all variables in the data set:MISSING ARE . ;The blank can be a missing value flag only in fixed format data sets.The following command indicates that blanks are to be considered asmissing value flags:MISSING = BLANK;NUMERIC MISSING VALUE FLAGSAny number of numeric values can be specified as missing value flagsfor the complete data set or for individual variables. The keyword ALLcan be used with the MISSING option if all variables have the samenumeric value(s) as missing value flags.The following statement specifies that the number 9 is the missing valueflag for all variables in the data set:MISSING ARE ALL (9);The following example specifies that for the variable ethnic, thenumbers 9 and 99 are missing value flags, while for the variable y1, thenumber 1 is the missing value flag:485