Can MATCH FILES syntax be PASTED from the GUI in v22?

[Bruce Weaver]

I am currently working on updating a tutorial on merging files.  The old version of it showed how one could exit the GUI via PASTE and obtain MATCH FILES syntax.  But in v22, exiting the GUI via PASTE gives me STAR JOIN syntax, and I don't see any check-box or whatever that allows me to choose MATCH FILES instead (i.e., no equivalent of the "legacy dialog" you see in other areas of the GUI).  So, as my subject line asks, can one still obtain MATCH FILES syntax by pasting from the GUI in v22?  If so, how?

Supplementary question:  What are the advantages of STAR JOIN over MATCH FILES?

Thanks,
Bruce

[Bruce Weaver]

It's incredible how frequently formulating a question leads to finding the answer yourself.  Here's what I've discovered about pasting from the GUI for Data > Merge Files > Add Variables:

1. If I presort both datasets on the key variables, and check the box indicating that they are already sorted, PASTE gives me MATCH FILES syntax.  

2. If I do not check the box indicating that the datasets are already sorted on the key variables, PASTE gives me STAR JOIN syntax (without SORT commands, because it does not require them).  

The supplementary question still stands though:  What are the main advantages of STAR JOIN over MATCH FILES (besides not needing to sort on the key variables first)?

Bruce Weaver wrote

I am currently working on updating a tutorial on merging files.  The old version of it showed how one could exit the GUI via PASTE and obtain MATCH FILES syntax.  But in v22, exiting the GUI via PASTE gives me STAR JOIN syntax, and I don't see any check-box or whatever that allows me to choose MATCH FILES instead (i.e., no equivalent of the "legacy dialog" you see in other areas of the GUI).  So, as my subject line asks, can one still obtain MATCH FILES syntax by pasting from the GUI in v22?  If so, how?

Supplementary question:  What are the advantages of STAR JOIN over MATCH FILES?

Thanks,
Bruce

[Rick Oliver-3]

For some people, the ability to merge without pre-sorting is a fairly significant feature, but additionally: "You can also merge data files based on string keys of different defined lengths in each file and merge a case data file with multiple table-lookup files with different keys in each table-lookup file."

The latter feature is not available in the dialog UI because the UI only allows you to merge two data files.

Rick Oliver
Senior Information Developer
IBM Business Analytics (SPSS)
E-mail: [hidden email]



From:        Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        09/16/2014 01:51 PM
Subject:        Re: Can MATCH FILES syntax be PASTED from the GUI in v22?
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

It's incredible how frequently formulating a question leads to finding the
answer yourself.  Here's what I've discovered about pasting from the GUI for
Data > Merge Files > Add Variables:

1. If I presort both datasets on the key variables, and check the box
indicating that they are already sorted, PASTE gives me MATCH FILES syntax.  

2. If I do not check the box indicating that the datasets are already sorted
on the key variables, PASTE gives me STAR JOIN syntax (without SORT
commands, because it does not require them).  

The supplementary question still stands though:  What are the main
advantages of STAR JOIN over MATCH FILES (besides not needing to sort on the
key variables first)?




Bruce Weaver wrote
> I am currently working on updating a tutorial on merging files.  The old
> version of it showed how one could exit the GUI via PASTE and obtain MATCH
> FILES syntax.  But in v22, exiting the GUI via PASTE gives me STAR JOIN
> syntax, and I don't see any check-box or whatever that allows me to choose
> MATCH FILES instead (i.e., no equivalent of the "legacy dialog" you see in
> other areas of the GUI).  So, as my subject line asks, can one still
> obtain MATCH FILES syntax by pasting from the GUI in v22?  If so, how?
>
> Supplementary question:  What are the advantages of STAR JOIN over MATCH
> FILES?
>
> Thanks,
> Bruce





-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

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[Andy W]

STAR JOIN you can match different files on different variables as well (you can even match the same table on different keys). Besides that if someone is more used to SQL the programmer may just prefer STAR JOIN for familiarity.

I think STAR JOIN immediately writes the results to disk, so there is a tradeoff of not needing to sort the variables beforehand, but then forcing a pass of the data. Some experimentation (for anecdote) with fairly large N files (around 10 million+) in my own work SORT then MATCH FILES worked much faster than just the STAR JOIN. (Smaller files this of course won't be a big deal either way.)

[Bruce Weaver]

That's useful info.  Thanks Andy.  And thanks Rick for your earlier reply.

Andy W wrote

STAR JOIN you can match different files on different variables as well (you can even match the same table on different keys). Besides that if someone is more used to SQL the programmer may just prefer STAR JOIN for familiarity.

I think STAR JOIN immediately writes the results to disk, so there is a tradeoff of not needing to sort the variables beforehand, but then forcing a pass of the data. Some experimentation (for anecdote) with fairly large N files (around 10 million+) in my own work SORT then MATCH FILES worked much faster than just the STAR JOIN. (Smaller files this of course won't be a big deal either way.)

[Jon K Peck]

Bruce,

The motivation for STAR JOIN was the popular Star Schema often used in data bases/data warehouses.  Although what Statistics has isn't quit the same, you might want to look at the Wikipedia article on STAR JOIN for some background.


Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
phone: [phone]




From:        Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        09/16/2014 01:47 PM
Subject:        Re: [SPSSX-L] Can MATCH FILES syntax be PASTED from the GUI in v22?
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

That's useful info.  Thanks Andy.  And thanks Rick for your earlier reply.



Andy W wrote
> STAR JOIN you can match different files on different variables as well
> (you can even match the same table on different keys). Besides that if
> someone is more used to SQL the programmer may just prefer STAR JOIN for
> familiarity.
>
> I think STAR JOIN immediately writes the results to disk, so there is a
> tradeoff of not needing to sort the variables beforehand, but then forcing
> a pass of the data. Some experimentation (for anecdote) with fairly large
> N files (around 10 million+) in my own work SORT then MATCH FILES worked
> much faster than just the STAR JOIN. (Smaller files this of course won't
> be a big deal either way.)





-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

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View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Can-MATCH-FILES-syntax-be-PASTED-from-the-GUI-in-v22-tp5727278p5727282.html
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