In addition to the editing features SPSS lets you rearrange the structure of the table.

Here's a typical three-way table produced with showing whether people use Public Transport according to sex and linguistic region (percentages and counts).

Maybe you have noticed that double-clicking a table adds a item to the menu bar. Select (or alternatively from the context menu). A window, as shown here, will appear. It shows a structural presentation of the table: Sex as a variable, "Use public transport" and "Linguistic region" as variables and within the data cells two containing counts and percentages ("Statistics").

Note also the icon appearing in front of all these elements.

These icons can be used to place any element into any dimension of the table (rows, columns or layers). As soon as an element is moved, the table is automatically rearranged to reflect the new structure of the table.

As shown, you can also move an icon into the dimension, here "Linguistic region" icon to the "layer" element as shown to the right to produce the following table:

Note that the table only shows German speakers, but you can easily select one of the other linguistic regions from the drop down list that opens when you click on German.

If you move the icon into the layer dimension you will be able to choose the statistics you would like to see screen.

These features are very powerful and offer a number of advantages:

• You can actually just produce the table, and the rearrange to your liking; no need to reproduce the table differently.
• Big, complicated tables (several variables, many percentages) can be made quite readable on the screen by putting various elements into the layer dimension and then selecting the information you would like to inspect.

Note that these interactive features are not mere editing features, but also powerful analysis tools, as you can quickly move through may different views of the table, e.g. quickly switching from German to French speakers, interpret percentages and have a quick look at the counts. Learning to use these features are rewarding, especially when you have to read highly complex tables.

• Row variables become column variables, and column variables row variables.
• lets you select a specific layer (if you have defined layers.

It is also possible to reorder categories.

You can reorder categories the following way:

• Select the category you would like to move into a different location.
• Keep the mouse button pressed (note the handles that appear next to the cursor.

• Move the mouse to the desired location and release the mouse button.
• Note the menu that pops up
• Select to insert the selected category here ("German" before "Italian")
• Select to swap the selected category with the current category ("German" and "Italian" change places).