When SPSS reads data from Excel it tries to figure out whether it is reading
string values or numbers in columns because Excel places no restrictions
upon column contents while SPSS assumes that all values for a variable are
numeric or string. If it encounters a string in the first n rows or so (I
can't remember how many), then that column is read as a string. Now your
example below indicates that the second column is mixed (a, blank, 1, 2 ,
blank) so it should be read (with this few rows) as a string. The header
should make no difference at all. When I just 17 with the data your report,
all three variables are strings when read with or without header using PASW
17.
Is this really your example? I am suspicious since somehow column 2, row 1
in the example without header has not been set to sysmis which would occur
if SPSS thought that this column was a number.
-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Florio Arguillas
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:13 PM
To:
[hidden email]
Subject: Re: Mysterious results when importing Excel data to PASW17
Hi Everyone,
I apologize earlier for the wrong subject heading (Multiple Imputation),
the correct one is this: Mysterious results when importing Excel data to
PASW17.
Florio
At 09:08 PM 10/7/2009, Florio Arguillas wrote:
>Hi Everyone,
>
>Can someone explain to me why I get the following data in PASW 17:
>1 0 1
>2 . a
>a 1 a
>v 2 a
>1 . 1
>
>when I import an Excel file containing this information which doesn't have
>a column header. (note the blank values for obs2 and obs5 in column 2,
>which is the problematic column).
>
>1 a 1
>2 a
>a 1 a
>v 2 a
>1 1
>
>However, if I put a column header in Excel, SPSS correctly imports it and
>shows this: (same as above)
>1 a 1
>2 a
>a 1 a
>v 2 a
>1 1
>
>Thanks.
>
>Florio
>
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