The labels parameter
What it does
Groups for the values of a column: "label:value,label:value" for exact values, "label:min:max" for ranges.
A range is [min, max): min included, max not; an empty bound is open on its side ("high:3:" — 3 and above, "low::0" — every value below 0).
Spaces around the colon are not part of the label: "Never : 1" names Never, here and in a labels row above the names.
On a text column the value is the text of the cell ("male:m,female:f").
Labels given here win over the labels of the column (a labels row above the names). Empty — the labels of the column, if it has them.
Groups are listed in the order of the labels. A value outside the labels goes to the group "_other", listed last.
STATS_FREQUENCIES shows the first part as the group name: write "label:value".
STATS_SPLIT_COLS takes both orders, "1:male" and "male:1", and names the columns {column}-{label}.
Without labels, groups follow SPSS: numbers ascending, text alphabetically. A text scale with a natural order (education levels, Likert words) needs labels to keep that order.
Values
Optional.
In plain words
A sheet had a column gender with answers 1 and 2. Without labels, the frequencies table had two rows called 1 and 2, and readers had to guess who is who. With the labels male:1,female:2, the rows were called male and female. For numbers a range works too, such as low:1:3,high:3: where 1 and 2 are low, and 3 and up is high. Any answer that fits no label goes into a group called _other, shown last. Labels typed here win over the labels written above the column names.
Where you use it
STATS_FREQUENCIES— Calculates frequencies for chosen columns.STATS_SPLIT_COLS— Splits the columns chosen by colFilter into one column per group of colNameForSplit.
Examples
"male:m,female:f"— text answers m and f named male and female"low:1:3,high:3:"— ranges: 1 ≤ x < 3 is low, 3 and above is high"good:1:3,normal:3:6,bad:6:11"— three ranges"low::0,high:0:"— open bounds: negative values are low, 0 and above is high
Get it in your sheet
ALS Stats is a free add-on for Google Sheets™.
Install ALS Stats from Google Workspace Marketplace (opens in a new tab)