Finding SPSS.jnl/ SPSS log

[dnyeboa]

Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I was unable
to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option. I also searched
for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if there is another name it
might be under?
Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows program like
notepad? And will it have the code in a format that is similar to syntax? Have
any of you used it to retrieve recodings before?

Debra
--
> I'm new to SPSS and I wanted to know if there is a way that SPSS keeps track
of
> what has been done to a variable. I know that you can paste your actions to
> Syntax and thus save a program. But does any one know how one might retrieve
> the programing of a variable is it was not initially pasted and saved?
>
> Also, how do you find the "log" of your actions in SPSS?

[Melissa Ives]

Debra,

In SPSS, click on the menu item for Edit-->Options
On the General tab in the middle of the left side there is a box called
"Session Journal".
You have the option to record syntax in a journal (if this is unchecked,
you are not saving a journal file) to append to the journal each time
(gets all syntax over time but could end up with a HUGE file) or to
overwrite the journal each time you open SPSS (can miss syntax from
yesterday's runs if you haven't renamed the journal before hand).

Right below that is the file where the .jnl file is being saved,
including the full path name.  (You can change this using the 'Browse'
button.)  To find the journal file--go to that folder to search for it.

I always set the "Display commands in the log' option (on the 'Viewer'
tab of the options as noted in an earlier message).  That way the syntax
is saved with the output and I can always recreate any variables or
analysis needed.

Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
[hidden email]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 11:36 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [SPSSX-L] Finding SPSS.jnl/ SPSS log

Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I was
unable to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option. I
also searched for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if
there is another name it might be under?
Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows program
like notepad? And will it have the code in a format that is similar to
syntax? Have any of you used it to retrieve recodings before?

Debra
--
> I'm new to SPSS and I wanted to know if there is a way that SPSS keeps

> track
of
> what has been done to a variable. I know that you can paste your
> actions to Syntax and thus save a program. But does any one know how
> one might retrieve the programing of a variable is it was not
initially pasted and saved?
>
> Also, how do you find the "log" of your actions in SPSS?


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[Marta Garcia-Granero]

Hi Debra

Please, address your questions to the list, not to me.

> Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I was unable
> to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option. I also searched
> for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if there is another name it
> might be under?

It should be easily found in any computer with SPSS installed (and run
at least once). In my case, for SPSS 13, it is located in:

C:\Documents and settings\"My user name"\Local settings\Temp

And for SPSS 15 its location is this one:

C:\Documents and settings\"My user name"\Local settings\Program
data\SPSS 15.0 for Windows

Have you tried searching inside hidden and system folders? Windows
doesn't search inside those folders unless you ask specifically for it.
Go to "More advanced options" (inside "Search") and make sure you tick
all important options.
>
> Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows program like
> notepad?
Pure text file.

> And will it have the code in a format that is similar to syntax?
Pure syntax, read to be run.

Regards,
Marta

[Catherine Kubitschek]

Debra,

Open SPSS 14, open the View menu and choose Options.  On the General tab,
middle left side will be a section labelled Session Journal.  This is where
you'd find the path and file name for the journal.  Also, this is where
you'd find whether or not you were saving to the journal.  For future use,
check the Record syntax in Journal box if it isn't already checked.

Catherine

At 7/27/2007 12:36 PM, Debra wrote:

>Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I was unable
>to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option. I also searched
>for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if there is another name it
>might be under?
>Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows program like
>notepad? And will it have the code in a format that is similar to syntax? Have
>any of you used it to retrieve recodings before?
>
>Debra
>--
> > I'm new to SPSS and I wanted to know if there is a way that SPSS keeps
> track
>of
> > what has been done to a variable. I know that you can paste your actions to
> > Syntax and thus save a program. But does any one know how one might
> retrieve
> > the programing of a variable is it was not initially pasted and saved?
> >
> > Also, how do you find the "log" of your actions in SPSS?

[Marks, Jim]

Open SPSS.

Choose EDIT --> OPTIONS -->GENERAL. On the left-hand side is an area
called Session Journal.
It lists the location of the .jnl file.

If the choice to "Record syntax in journal" is not selected & the
"append button is not selected, then you will not have old operations
saved into the .jnl file.

The .jnl file contains actual syntax that has been run-- either from
your syntax file or from the GUI. It can be opened with any text editor.

--jim

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
[hidden email]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 11:36 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Finding SPSS.jnl/ SPSS log

Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I was
unable to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option. I
also searched for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if
there is another name it might be under?
Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows program
like notepad? And will it have the code in a format that is similar to
syntax? Have any of you used it to retrieve recodings before?

Debra
--
> I'm new to SPSS and I wanted to know if there is a way that SPSS keeps

> track
of
> what has been done to a variable. I know that you can paste your
> actions to Syntax and thus save a program. But does any one know how
> one might retrieve the programing of a variable is it was not
initially pasted and saved?
>
> Also, how do you find the "log" of your actions in SPSS?

[Hector Maletta]

         To put Kim Marks' advice in the positive: after going to
Edit-Options-General, be sure you set the "Record syntax in journal" option
ON, and also set the Journal option to Append, so that your successive SPSS
sessions will be on record there (otherwise old sessions are overwritten
whenever you start a new session).
         Hector

         -----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Marks, Jim
Sent: 30 July 2007 14:41
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Finding SPSS.jnl/ SPSS log

         Open SPSS.

         Choose EDIT --> OPTIONS -->GENERAL. On the left-hand side is an
area
         called Session Journal.
         It lists the location of the .jnl file.

         If the choice to "Record syntax in journal" is not selected & the
         "append button is not selected, then you will not have old
operations
         saved into the .jnl file.

         The .jnl file contains actual syntax that has been run-- either
from
         your syntax file or from the GUI. It can be opened with any text
editor.

         --jim

         -----Original Message-----
         From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of
         [hidden email]
         Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 11:36 AM
         To: [hidden email]
         Subject: Finding SPSS.jnl/ SPSS log

         Thank you all very much for your help and advice! Unfortunately, I
was
         unable to find any files with a .jnl ending using my search option.
I
         also searched for log and journal. I have SPSS 14.0- do you know if
         there is another name it might be under?
         Also is the journal in a format that can be opened by a windows
program
         like notepad? And will it have the code in a format that is similar
to
         syntax? Have any of you used it to retrieve recodings before?

         Debra
         --
         > I'm new to SPSS and I wanted to know if there is a way that SPSS
keeps

         > track
         of
         > what has been done to a variable. I know that you can paste your
         > actions to Syntax and thus save a program. But does any one know
how
         > one might retrieve the programing of a variable is it was not
         initially pasted and saved?
         >
         > Also, how do you find the "log" of your actions in SPSS?

[Richard Ristow]

At 01:40 PM 7/30/2007, Marks, Jim wrote:

>The .jnl file contains actual syntax that has been run-- either from
>your syntax file or from the GUI. It can be opened with any text
>editor.

A useful addendum: SPSS closes this file periodically (at the end of
every procedure or EXECUTE?), so it is safe to open it while SPSS is
running. An editor that's aware when another application has updated a
file being edited, will let you know when the journal's been expanded
and should be reloaded. (NOTETAB does this; I don't know about other
editors.)