Data Set Activate Syntax

[Andrew Rudd]

Hi All,

 

When pasting syntax from the GUI windows the 'DATASET ACTIVATE DataSet1.' command always comes up.

 

Is there anyway that you can stop this from occurring or is it just a new feature added to v17?

 

Thanks

Andrew

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[Oliver, Richard]

Try:

 

Edit>Options

 

Click the General tab.

 

Select "Open only one dataset at a time"

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From: SPSSX(r) Discussion on behalf of Andrew Rudd
Sent: Mon 9/14/2009 5:16 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Data Set Activate Syntax

Hi All,

 

When pasting syntax from the GUI windows the 'DATASET ACTIVATE DataSet1.' command always comes up.

 

Is there anyway that you can stop this from occurring or is it just a new feature added to v17?

 

Thanks

Andrew

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[Richard Ristow]

At 06:16 PM 9/14/2009, Andrew Rudd wrote:

When pasting syntax from the GUI windows the 'DATASET ACTIVATE DataSet1.' command always comes up.

This is a case where SPSS, while adding the DATASET facility, painted itself into a corner.

There are two 'distinguished' datasets in interactive SPSS: the 'active' dataset, which syntax commands act on; and the 'foreground' dataset, the one whose window is in front, which is the one whose variables you see in  the GUI menus. (It doesn't help that some SPSS documentation refers to the foreground dataset as the 'active' dataset.)

If they aren't the same (and they needn't be), code you click up from the GUI may fail totally, because it's for a dataset other than the 'active' one. SPSS's work-around is to generate a DATASET ACTIVATE to make the foreground dataset active. That's what you're seeing.
.....................................................
For more detail, there was a thread '"Active" dataset' begun Mon, 30 Apr 2007 that discussed this at length.

From that thread, 2 May 2007 11:00:34 -0500, by "Peck, Jon" <[hidden email]> (He says  'active in the frontend' where I say 'foreground', and 'active in the backend' where I say 'active'):

The dialogs show information relative to the frontend current dataset.  That's the one with the active window title bar.  Whenever you click a DE window, it becomes active IN THE FRONTEND ONLY.

When you click OK, the backend is notified of which dataset it should make active.  It does that, and it is automatically in sync with the frontend.

However, if you paste syntax, the dialog does not generate a DATASET ACTIVATE.  But when you do a Run command, the currently active DE window is activated in the backend, and, with luck, things are again in sync.

If you just save the dialog-generated syntax, or if you have activated a different dataset in the frontend in between pasting and running, things can be out of sync.

See also my summary, Tue, 8 May 2007 16:20:18 -0400, Richard Ristow <[hidden email]>
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