Adding a date to a file name through syntax

[Frank Furter]

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi Andreas!

 

* put this at the top of your syntax.

begin program.

import time, spss

spss.SetMacroValue("!timestamp", "'" + time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d") + "'")

end program.

file handle mydir /name = "d:/temp".

* and code like this wherever you need it.

save outfile = "mydir/data_" + !timestamp + ".sav".

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Wed, 6/23/10, Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
Subject: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:08 AM

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
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[Frank Furter]

Hi Albert-Jan:

Great idea! BUT: when I executze the program code I receive the erroe message

'Configration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid because the LIB_NAME is NULL.'

Which programming language did you use? I may have to install it first ...

Cheers, Andreas

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi Andreas,

 

I'm guessing that this means you didn't install Python + the plugin. You can download everything you need here: http://www.spss.com/devcentral/index.cfm?pg=plugins . The download contains a short pdf with some simple instructions. After you've done this, the following shouldn't yield any error:

begin program.

print "The Netherlands will beat Germany in the World Cup ;-)"
end program.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Wed, 6/23/10, Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 10:21 AM

Hi Albert-Jan:

Great idea! BUT: when I executze the program code I receive the erroe
message

'Configration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid because the LIB_NAME is NULL.'

Which programming language did you use? I may have to install it first ...

Cheers, Andreas
--
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[Jon K Peck]

You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
end program.

You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

HTH,

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	06/23/2010 01:14 AM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[Georg Maubach-2]

Jon has given a very neat solution to your question. It relies on Python command syntax. I have done the same with SPSS syntax and macros only quite a while ago. This macro is part of our CONCERTO macro libary. If you like plain SPSS syntax I post the macro here, although I am not sure if this is supported with current SPSS versions later than SPSS 12. Unfortunately my mailer does not preserve tabs spacing, but I could ship the file directly if you like.

 

/* [ Name ] -------------------------------------------*/ .

/* GetSysDateTime (GET SYStem DATE and TIME)

/*

/* [ Status ] -----------------------------------------*/ .

/* Author : Raynald Levesque, Georg Maubach (MRSC)

/* Date : 03-MAY-2006

/* Status : released

/* Version : 1

/* Release : 1

/*

/* [ Platform ] ---------------------------------------*/ .

/* Source System : SPSS (Win), Rel.12.0.1 (11 Nov 2003)

/* Target System : SPSS (Win), Rel.12

/*

/* [ Description ] ------------------------------------*/ .

/* The macro extracts the system date and time

/* information from the operating system and stores it

/* in a numeric variable, in a string variable and/or

/* in a macro for further usage.

/*

/* [ Parameter ] --------------------------------------*/ .

/* pinc (quoted) = path for a temporary include

/* file

/* finc (quoted) = name of a temporary include

/* file

/* mode (quoted) = number of the mode the macro

/* shall be run in

/*

/* [ Result ] ------------------------------------------*/ .

/* The macro can deliver a numeric and/or a string

/* variable containing the actual system date and time

/* and/or a macro containing this information also as a

/* string.

/*

/* [ Operation ] ---------------------------------------*/ .

/* The system variable $time is stored in a variable in

/* the dataset and then reformatted in the desired way.

/*

/* The format of the numeric date and time variable is

/* DATETIME(24.2) and the format of the string variable

/* is 'YYYYMMDD_HHMMSSTT' where

/* YYYY: Year with for digits

/* MM : Month with always two digits

/* DD : Day with alway two digits

/* HH : Hour

/* MM : Minutes

/* SS : Seconds

/* TT : Milliseconds

/*

/* The modes are:

/*

/* 1 = only numeric SystemDatetime

/* 2 = only string SystemDatetime

/* 3 = both numeric and string SystemDatetime

/* 4 = numeric and string SystemDatetime and macro with string System Datetime

/* 5 = only macro with string SystemDatetime

/*

/* As a standard only the macro is created.

/*

/* [ Call ] --------------------------------------------*/ .

/* @GetSysDateTime pinc = 'c:\temp'

/* finc = 'dynamic.inc'

/* mode = 5 .

/*

/* [ Example ] -----------------------------------------*/ .

/* The macro @strSysDateTime could be used in other macros

/* to included into a file name or a file label.

/*

/* [ Release Notes ] -----------------------------------*/ .

/* None .

/*

/* [ Developer Notes ] ---------------------------------*/ .

/* None .

/*

/*----------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---*/ .

DEFINE @GetSysDateTime (pinc !TOKENS(1) !DEFAULT('c:\temp\')

/finc !TOKENS(1) !DEFAULT('dynamic.inc')

/mode !TOKENS(1) !DEFAULT(5)

)

@trace '*===== [ Begin @GetSysDateTime ] =====*' .

* Set english output language to be able to use english date format .

PRESERVE .

SET OLANG = ENGLISH .

DO IF ($casenum = 1) .

- COMPUTE numSysDateTime = $time .

- FORMATS numSysDateTime (DATETIME24.2) .

END IF .

EXECUTE .

* Generate variables .

** Set errors and warnings off in case the variable already exists.

* PRESERVE .

* SET ERRORS = OFF WARNINGS = OFF .

STRING strSysDateTime (A24) .

RESTORE .

STRING day (a2) .

STRING month3 (a3) .

STRING month2 (a2) .

STRING year (a4) .

STRING time1 time2 time3 time4 (a2) .

* Generate string variable in desired format .

DO IF ($casenum = 1) .

- COMPUTE strSysDateTime = STRING(numSysDateTime, DATETIME24.2) .

- COMPUTE strSysDateTime = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,2,23) .

- COMPUTE day = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,1,2) .

- COMPUTE month3 = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,4,6) .

- COMPUTE year = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,8,11) .

- COMPUTE time1 = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,13,2) .

- COMPUTE time2 = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,16,2) .

- COMPUTE time3 = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,19,2) .

- COMPUTE time4 = SUBSTR(strSysDateTime,22,2) .

- COMPUTE month3 = UPCASE(month3) .

- RECODE month3 ('JAN' = '01')

('FEB' = '02')

('MAR' = '03')

('APR' = '04')

('MAY' = '05')

('JUN' = '06')

('JUL' = '07')

('AUG' = '08')

('SEP' = '09')

('OCT' = '10')

('NOV' = '11')

('DEC' = '12')

(ELSE = '99') .

- COMPUTE month2 = month3 .

- COMPUTE strSysDateTime = CONCAT(year,month2,day,'_',time1,time2,time3,time4) .

END IF .

EXECUTE .

* Delete not needed variables .

MATCH FILES FILE = *

/DROP day month3 month2 year time1 TO time4 .

EXECUTE .

* Evaluate parameter 'mode' .

!IF (!UNQUOTE(!mode) = 1)

!THEN

MATCH FILES FILE = *

/DROP strSysDateTime .

!IFEND

!IF (!UNQUOTE(!mode) = 2)

!THEN

MATCH FILES FILE = *

/DROP numSysDateTime .

!IFEND

!IF (!UNQUOTE(!mode) = 3)

!THEN

/* nothing */ .

!IFEND

!IF (!UNQUOTE(!mode) = 4)

!THEN

DO IF ($casenum = 1) .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / 'DEFINE @strSysDateTime () ' .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / strSysDateTime .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / '!ENDDEFINE .' .

END IF .

EXECUTE .

INCLUDE FILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) .

!IFEND

!IF (!UNQUOTE(!mode) = 5)

!THEN

DO IF ($casenum = 1) .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / 'DEFINE @strSysDateTime () ' .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / strSysDateTime .

WRITE OUTFILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) / '!ENDDEFINE .' .

END IF .

EXECUTE .

MATCH FILES FILE = *

/DROP numSysDateTime strSysDateTime .

EXECUTE .

INCLUDE FILE = !QUOTE(

!CONCAT(

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!pinc)),

!UNQUOTE(!EVAL(!finc))

)

) .

!IFEND

@trace '*===== [ End @GetSysDateTime ] =====*' .

!ENDDEFINE .

 

* EOF * .

 

Best regards

Georg

 

---

Von: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] Im Auftrag von Jon K Peck
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 23. Juni 2010 14:56
An: [hidden email]
Betreff: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax

You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
end program.

You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

HTH,

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	06/23/2010 01:14 AM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[John F Hall]

Stop doing SPSS: watch England vs Slovenia instead!

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:56 PM

Subject: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax

You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
end program.

You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

HTH,

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	06/23/2010 01:14 AM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
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For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
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[Bruce Weaver]

Let's be fair about this, John...Jon may prefer watching USA v Algeria.  ;-)

John F Hall wrote

Stop doing SPSS: watch England vs Slovenia instead!
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Jon K Peck
  To: [e-mail]
  Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:56 PM
  Subject: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax



  You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

  Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
  begin program.
  import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
  spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
  end program.

  You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

  HTH,

  Jon Peck
  SPSS, an IBM Company
  [e-mail]
  312-651-3435


        From:  Andreas Voelp <[e-mail]> 
        To:  [e-mail]  
        Date:  06/23/2010 01:14 AM  
        Subject:  [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax  
        Sent by:  "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[e-mail]> 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------



  I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
  saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

  SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

  (however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
  date).

  Can anybody think of a solution?

  Andreas.

  --
  View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
  Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

  =====================
  To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
  [e-mail] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
  command. To leave the list, send the command
  SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
  For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
  INFO REFCARD

[Marta Garcia-Granero]

Bruce Weaver wrote:
> Let's be fair about this, John...Jon may prefer watching USA v Algeria.  ;-)
>
Congratulations USA, leaders of their group!

Marta GG

(Yes, I DO like soccer)

>
> John F Hall wrote:
>
>> Stop doing SPSS: watch England vs Slovenia instead!
>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>   From: Jon K Peck
>>   To: [hidden email]
>>   Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:56 PM
>>   Subject: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax
>>

--
For miscellaneous SPSS related statistical stuff, visit:
http://gjyp.nl/marta/

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[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi Jon,

That's quite handy indeed. I reinvented one of your functions. I was studying your code (there's a lot to learn from it!), and why not replace

datestamp = re.search(r"_\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}_\d{2}-\d{2}\Z",root)

with:

pattern = ".*?(?=[\d+\- ])"
root, ext = os.path.splitext(basename)
prefix = re.search(pattern, root.replace(" ", "_"), re.IGNORECASE).group(0)
datestamp = root[len(prefix):]

That way, the code deals with any date-like substring, not just yyyy-mm-dd.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Wed, 6/23/10, Jon K Peck <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Jon K Peck <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 2:56 PM

You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
end program.

You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

HTH,

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	06/23/2010 01:14 AM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[Jon K Peck]

You could certainly make the pattern more general, but that's something I did not want to do.  I wanted to make sure that characters that would be invalid in file names on some OS's such as : and / or \ could not get into these strings.  I also wanted to make sure that the dates were sufficiently consistent that the file names would sort in date order (within root).  For example writing a month or day number without forcing the length of each datum to be the same wreaks havoc with string sorting.

Re's are wonderful things, though, once you get past the somewhat arcane notation.

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Albert-Jan Roskam <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email], Jon K Peck/Chicago/IBM@IBMUS
Date:	06/23/2010 01:36 PM
Subject:	Re: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax

---

Hi Jon,

That's quite handy indeed. I reinvented one of your functions. I was studying your code (there's a lot to learn from it!), and why not replace

datestamp = re.search(r"_\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}_\d{2}-\d{2}\Z",root)

with:

pattern = ".*?(?=[\d+\- ])"
root, ext = os.path.splitext(basename)
prefix = re.search(pattern, root.replace(" ", "_"), re.IGNORECASE).group(0)
datestamp = root[len(prefix):]

That way, the code deals with any date-like substring, not just yyyy-mm-dd.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Wed, 6/23/10, Jon K Peck <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Jon K Peck <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 2:56 PM


You can generate file names with date and time information using the function CreateFileNameWDate in the spssaux2.py module available from SPSS Developer Central (www.spss.com/devcentral).  There is a companion function in the same module named FindMostRecentFile that will return the file name of the most recent file by using the naming structure produced by the first function.

Here is an example program that saves the active data file using this naming scheme.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux, spssaux2
spssaux.SaveDataFile(spssaux2.CreateFileNameWDate(basename="Andreas"))
end program.

You can omit the basename if the active file already has a name, and the function will build a dated name from the current name (removing any date stamp it already had).

HTH,

Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	06/23/2010 01:14 AM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28968491.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

[Marinica Barbulescu - Yahoo]

Hi guys,

I've been trying to get this working for older versions of spss (without using python):

define !savewdate(fname=!tokens(1))
do if $casenum=1.
write outfile "c:\$jdate.sps" /"define !crtdate() '",$jdate (date11),"' !enddefine.".
end if.
exec.
include "c:\$jdate.sps".
exec.
*kill "c:\$jdate.sps".
exec.
save outfile=!quote(!concat(!unq(!fname),'_',!unq(!eval(!crtdate)),'.sav')) /compressed.
!enddefine.

!savewdate fname='c:\my_dated_file'.

the only problem is that I cannot make it work from the first shot, it only evaluates correctly the !crtdate at second run...
the second issue would be to make $jdate to read the correct date ... but i've got stuck in !crtdate for now :)
any suggestions?

Cheers,
Marinica

---

From: Albert-Jan Roskam <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Wed, June 23, 2010 10:52:44 AM
Subject: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax

Hi Andreas!

 

* put this at the top of your syntax.

begin program.

import time, spss

spss.SetMacroValue("!timestamp", "'" + time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d") + "'")

end program.

file handle mydir /name = "d:/temp".

* and code like this wherever you need it.

save outfile = "mydir/data_" + !timestamp + ".sav".

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Wed, 6/23/10, Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Andreas Voelp <[hidden email]>
Subject: [SPSSX-L] Adding a date to a file name through syntax
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:08 AM

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when
saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current
date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

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[Bruce Weaver]

Some of the other (non-Python) methods seem a bit complicated.  Doesn't something simple like the following do what you want?

* Create some test data .

data list free / v1 (f1.0) .
begin data
1 2 3 4 5
end data.

string #savecmd(a150).
do if $casenum EQ 1.
- compute #savecmd = concat("SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='C:\temp\myfile_",$date,".csv' /TYPE=CSV /MAP /REPLACE /FIELDNAMES /CELLS=VALUES.").
- write outfile = "C:\temp\save.txt" / #savecmd.
end if.
exe.

include file = "C:\temp\save.txt".


Jon, note that I deliberately used INCLUDE rather than INSERT, because there has been some mention of people wanting a method that would work with old versions of SPSS.  ;-)

Andreas Voelp wrote

I would like to add the current date to the file name automatically when saving data files from SPSS using command syntax, as in

SAVE TRANSLATE OUTFILE='xy 2010-06-23.csv'

(however, the date string should be updated automatically to the current date).

Can anybody think of a solution?

Andreas.

[Frank Furter]

Thanks everybody for all the creative answers - surely there are 'many roads that lead to Rome' (as a German proverb says).

Anyway: Do not miss Germany vs. England on Sunday  

Cheers from Germany
Andreas

[John F Hall]

Here in France we also will be watching...

 

<IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="Q:\DCIM\100OLYMP\P6257733.JPG">

 

<IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="Q:\DCIM\100OLYMP\P6257734.JPG">

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 6:01 PM

Subject: Re: Adding a date to a file name through syntax

Thanks everybody for all the creative answers - surely there are 'many roads
that lead to Rome' (as a German proverb says).

Anyway: Do not miss Germany vs. England on Sunday  ;-)

Cheers from Germany
Andreas
--
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Adding-a-date-to-a-file-name-through-syntax-tp28968491p28993874.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
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