(defun read-list-char (file)
  (do ((char-list nil (append char-list (list new-char)))
       (new-char (read-char file) (read-char file)))
    ((or (eql new-char #\Newline)
         (null new-char))
     char-list)))

(defun write-list-char (char-list file)
  (dolist (char char-list)
    (write-char char file))
  (write-char #\Space file))

(defun read-select-write (ind in-stream out-stream)
  (let* ((line (read-list-char in-stream))
         (char-lists 
           (if line (mapcar #'(lambda (i) (select line i)) ind))))
    (dolist (char-list char-lists line)
      (write-list-char char-list out-stream))))

(defun grab-nels88 (sex-ind ind1 ind2 ind3 out-file)
  (let ((sex (open "sexrace.dat"))
        (f (open "nels88_2.dat"))
        (out (open out-file :direction :output)))
    (loop
      (unless (read-select-write sex-ind sex out) (return))
      (read-select-write ind1 f out)
      (read-select-write ind2 f out)
      (read-select-write ind3 f out)
      (write-char #\Newline out))
    (write-char #\Newline out)
    (close sex)
    (close f)
    (close out)))

(def var-labels (list "School ID" "Student ID" "Sex" "Race"
"BYS79A"  "G8CTRL" "SES" "BYPARED" "Math"
"BYSC47D"  
"BYSCENRL" "Urban" "Region" "Minority"  "Ratio"))

(grab-nels88 (list (iseq 0 4) '(5 6) '(8) '(10))
  (list (iseq 17 18) '(38) (iseq 39 44) '(45) (iseq 57 63))
  nil
  (list '(10)  
    '(43) '(45) '(46) '(47) '(49 50))
  "multi2.dat")