Importing Data from Excel

[Alina Sheyman]

I am trying to import data from Excel into SPSS- both numbers and text,
but for some reason SPSS is not recognizing fields with text as a string
variable, but rather defaulting to a numeric format. Any suggestion on how
I can overcome this problem?

Alina Sheyman, Family Office Exchange

[Beadle, ViAnn]

SPSS reads a few rows to attempt to determine value type. Put in a dummy row as the 1st row of data with strings in the columns that you want read as strings. Make sure at least one value in the row is unique for the rest of the rows, and it's fairly easy to select the row out when saving data to an SPSS data file.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Alina Sheyman
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 11:35 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Importing Data from Excel

I am trying to import data from Excel into SPSS- both numbers and text,
but for some reason SPSS is not recognizing fields with text as a string
variable, but rather defaulting to a numeric format. Any suggestion on how
I can overcome this problem?

Alina Sheyman, Family Office Exchange

[Dogan, Enis]

You can also create an empty SPSS data file and format each variable (as
text or numeric) and copy paste from excel.
That should be a quick and dirty solution.

Enis



-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Beadle, ViAnn
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 2:15 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Importing Data from Excel

SPSS reads a few rows to attempt to determine value type. Put in a dummy
row as the 1st row of data with strings in the columns that you want
read as strings. Make sure at least one value in the row is unique for
the rest of the rows, and it's fairly easy to select the row out when
saving data to an SPSS data file.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Alina Sheyman
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 11:35 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Importing Data from Excel

I am trying to import data from Excel into SPSS- both numbers and text,
but for some reason SPSS is not recognizing fields with text as a string
variable, but rather defaulting to a numeric format. Any suggestion on
how
I can overcome this problem?

Alina Sheyman, Family Office Exchange

[Boer, CPJ de]

Hi Alina,

Whenever i import data from Excel into SPSS i allways first format the
columns in the excel worksheet especially date-columns.
I think that when the columns in Excel are explicitly formatted, SPSS
takes that format even if the cells in the first somany cases are empty.

SPSS is by nature a numbercruncher so it is logically that when it can't
make up the type of columns/variables it defaults to numeric.

Kees
Ing. C.P.J. de Boer
EMGO, VUmc
afd. Datamanagement & Systeembeheer
BS-7 D-451
(020) 44 49828
In theorie is er geen verschil tussen theorie en praktijk. De praktijk
is echter anders...

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Namens Alina Sheyman
> Verzonden: maandag 30 oktober 2006 18:35
> Aan: [hidden email]
> Onderwerp: Importing Data from Excel
>
> I am trying to import data from Excel into SPSS- both numbers
> and text, but for some reason SPSS is not recognizing fields
> with text as a string variable, but rather defaulting to a
> numeric format. Any suggestion on how I can overcome this problem?
>
> Alina Sheyman, Family Office Exchange
>

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi Alina,

Did you try converting the xls to csv or tab already?
That might work. If it's just a one-time activity (and
you don't have too many vars) you can also just use
the data editor to change the file format
point-and-click style. It's ugly, without syntax, but
well, if it does the trick...

Albert-Jan

--- "Boer, CPJ de" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Alina,
>
> Whenever i import data from Excel into SPSS i
> allways first format the
> columns in the excel worksheet especially
> date-columns.
> I think that when the columns in Excel are
> explicitly formatted, SPSS
> takes that format even if the cells in the first
> somany cases are empty.
>
> SPSS is by nature a numbercruncher so it is
> logically that when it can't
> make up the type of columns/variables it defaults to
> numeric.
>
> Kees
> Ing. C.P.J. de Boer
> EMGO, VUmc
> afd. Datamanagement & Systeembeheer
> BS-7 D-451
> (020) 44 49828
> In theorie is er geen verschil tussen theorie en
> praktijk. De praktijk
> is echter anders...
>
> > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> > Van: SPSSX(r) Discussion
> [mailto:[hidden email]]
> > Namens Alina Sheyman
> > Verzonden: maandag 30 oktober 2006 18:35
> > Aan: [hidden email]
> > Onderwerp: Importing Data from Excel
> >
> > I am trying to import data from Excel into SPSS-
> both numbers
> > and text, but for some reason SPSS is not
> recognizing fields
> > with text as a string variable, but rather
> defaulting to a
> > numeric format. Any suggestion on how I can
> overcome this problem?
> >
> > Alina Sheyman, Family Office Exchange
> >
>

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