TEMPORARY.
TEMPORARY is used to make the effects of transformations following its execution temporary. These transformations will affect only the execution of the next procedure or procedure-like command. Their effects will not be saved to the active file.
The only specification on TEMPORARY is the command name.
TEMPORARY may not appear within a DO IF or LOOP construct. It may appear only once between procedures and procedure-like commands.
Scratch variables cannot be used following TEMPORARY.
An example may help to clarify:
DATA LIST /X 1-2.
BEGIN DATA.
2
4
10
15
20
24
END DATA.
COMPUTE X=X/2.
TEMPORARY.
COMPUTE X=X+3.
DESCRIPTIVES X.
DESCRIPTIVES X.
The data read by the first DESCRIPTIVES are 4, 5, 8, 10.5, 13, 15. The data read by the first DESCRIPTIVES are 1, 2, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.