(How) can I read and modify an .sat file?

[Ruben Geert van den Berg]

Dear all,
 
Does anybody know whether/how an .sat file (SPSS autorecode template) can be read and modified? The problem is that autorecode will not produce the desired combinations of values and labels, e.g.
 

Don't know 1 Don't know

Excellent 2 Excellent

Fair 3 Fair

Good 4 Good

Poor 5 Poor

Very good 6 Very good

 
I'd like 'poor' to be 1, 'fair' 2 etcetera. I wanted to avoid 'recode into...' because then I'll have to reapply all variable labels.
 
TIA!
 
Ruben




 

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[Richard Ristow]

At 10:55 AM 12/17/2009, Ruben van den Berg wrote:

>Does anybody know whether/how an .sat file (SPSS autorecode
>template) can be read and modified?

It's not supported by SPSS, but it can be done, and has been done
many times. Use any text editor you choose.

There can be obscure problems. If you hit one, post with your questions.

-Best wishes,
  Richard

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[Ruben Geert van den Berg]

Dear Richard,

I had already tried notepad and wordpad, without any luck though. Another lister supposed it's likely to be a binary file that cannot be handled by any text editor. So far she seems right. The .sat file under investigation was created with v17, perhaps something changed after v15?

For practical purposes, I've a number of workarounds so if I can't edit the .sat file, it won't be the end of the world for my project. It just seemed a nice time saving option.

Kind regards,

Ruben



 

> Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:27:01 -0500
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: (How) can I read and modify an .sat file?
> To: [hidden email]
>
> At 10:55 AM 12/17/2009, Ruben van den Berg wrote:
>
> >Does anybody know whether/how an .sat file (SPSS autorecode
> >template) can be read and modified?
>
> It's not supported by SPSS, but it can be done, and has been done
> many times. Use any text editor you choose.
>
> There can be obscure problems. If you hit one, post with your questions.
>
> -Best wishes,
> Richard
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
> [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
> INFO REFCARD

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[Ruben Geert van den Berg]

Thanks a lot, Jon!
 
The file has a very simple structure (two variables, Source_ and Target_, containing the string and the value) and is very easily modified. One could easily write one from scratch even.
 
Kind regards,
 
Ruben
 



 

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To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] (How) can I read and modify an .sat file?
From: [hidden email]
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:39:40 -0700


The sat file is actually an sav file.  You can open it in the Data Editor.  While editing these files is not officially supported in connection with autorecode, it should work as long as you do not alter the structure of the file.

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

From:	Ruben van den Berg <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	12/21/2009 01:31 AM
Subject:	Re: [SPSSX-L] (How) can I read and modify an .sat file?
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Dear Richard,

I had already tried notepad and wordpad, without any luck though. Another lister supposed it's likely to be a binary file that cannot be handled by any text editor. So far she seems right. The .sat file under investigation was created with v17, perhaps something changed after v15?

For practical purposes, I've a number of workarounds so if I can't edit the .sat file, it won't be the end of the world for my project. It just seemed a nice time saving option.

Kind regards,

Ruben

> Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:27:01 -0500
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: (How) can I read and modify an .sat file?
> To: [hidden email]
>
> At 10:55 AM 12/17/2009, Ruben van den Berg wrote:
>
> >Does anybody know whether/how an .sat file (SPSS autorecode
> >template) can be read and modified?
>
> It's not supported by SPSS, but it can be done, and has been done
> many times. Use any text editor you choose.
>
> There can be obscure problems. If you hit one, post with your questions.
>
> -Best wishes,
> Richard
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
> [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
> INFO REFCARD

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