### 13.5 SPLIT FILE

    SPLIT FILE [{LAYERED, SEPARATE}] BY var_list.
    SPLIT FILE OFF.

`SPLIT FILE` allows multiple sets of data present in one data file to be analyzed separately using single statistical procedure commands.

Specify a list of variable names to analyze multiple sets of data separately. Groups of adjacent cases having the same values for these variables are analyzed by statistical procedure commands as one group. An independent analysis is carried out for each group of cases, and the variable values for the group are printed along with the analysis.

When a list of variable names is specified, one of the keywords `LAYERED` or `SEPARATE` may also be specified. If provided, either keyword are ignored.

Groups are formed only by adjacent cases. To create a split using a variable where like values are not adjacent in the working file, you should first sort the data by that variable (see SORT CASES).

Specify `OFF` to disable `SPLIT FILE` and resume analysis of the entire active dataset as a single group of data.

When `SPLIT FILE` is specified after `TEMPORARY`, it affects only the next procedure (see TEMPORARY).