Numeric to String

[AndrewM]

Good morning,

I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the trick, but it didn't.

How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it didn't work:

COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).
EXECUTE.

The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.

I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!

Andrew

[John F Hall]

What happens if you change numeric to string in the type column in the Data Editor?  Click on Numeric, then on blue box, then on String button at bottom of list.

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

[retired academic survey researcher]

 

Email:     [hidden email]

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of AndrewM
Sent: 21 January 2013 18:27
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Numeric to String

 

Good morning,

 

I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the trick, but it didn't.

 

How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it didn't work:

 

COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).

EXECUTE.

 

The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.

 

I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!

 

Andrew

 

 

 

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[AndrewM]

Ah yes, I can do that, but because I have to run this syntax twice per week for the next 16 weeks, I would prefer not to have to do it manually like that every time.  If there's a way I can do it "automated' with syntax, that would be my preference.

[John F Hall]

Andrew

 

Replies should be posted to the list: that way they are shared and in this case you will get what you want (when everyone has finished watching the inauguration).

 

John

 

From: Andrew McCloskey [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: 21 January 2013 18:53
To: John F Hall
Subject: Re: Numeric to String

 

Ah yes, I can do that, but because I have to run this syntax twice per week for the next 16 weeks, I would prefer not to have to do it manually like that every time.  If there's a way I can do it "automated' with syntax, that would be my preference.

 

On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 10:51 AM, John F Hall <[hidden email]> wrote:

What happens if you change numeric to string in the type column in the Data Editor?  Click on Numeric, then on blue box, then on String button at bottom of list.

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

[retired academic survey researcher]

 

Email:     [hidden email]

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of AndrewM
Sent: 21 January 2013 18:27
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Numeric to String

 

Good morning,

 

I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the trick, but it didn't.

 

How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it didn't work:

 

COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).

EXECUTE.

 

The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.

 

I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!

 

Andrew

 

 

 

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[Eric Black]

Don't you need to create the String variable first?:

string Newvar (A8).
compute newvar = string(notcontinuing, f8.0).
exe.

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[Jon K Peck]

You need to either declare a different variable as a string and then do the compute or, more easily, use
ALTER TYPE
to change the type of the existing variable.

p.s. It isn't helpful to just say something didn't work.  Describe what actually happened, including any error message.


Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
new phone: [phone]




From:        AndrewM <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email],
Date:        01/21/2013 10:28 AM
Subject:        [SPSSX-L] Numeric to String
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Good morning,

I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as
numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and
changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the
trick, but it didn't.

How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it
didn't work:

COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).
EXECUTE.

The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.

I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!

Andrew



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View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Numeric-to-String-tp5717551.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
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[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
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[David Marso]

As others have mentioned:
You need to pre-declare the string variable.
See ALTER TYPE.
"Didn't work?"  Please elaborate:  Please read my post "Tips on Posting the the SPSS List".
Post what the variable looks like in the beginning.
Post whatever error messages/warnings!
Hard to see why anything REALLY needs to be a string variable UNLESS:.
If for example you have non numeric characters using a compute post import will not salvage these instances.  You need to CYA in Excel prior to import.
If not, the a string variable really has no advantages over a numeric.
--

AndrewM wrote

Good morning,

I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the trick, but it didn't.

How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it didn't work:

COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).
EXECUTE.

The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.

I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!

Andrew

[Rick Oliver-3]

If you think you need it to be a string because you just want to display leading zeroes, use the N format, as in:

formats varname (N5).

This will display a value of 1234 as 01234, a value of 1 as 00001, etc.

Rick Oliver
Senior Information Developer
IBM Business Analytics (SPSS)
E-mail: [hidden email]



From:        David Marso <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email],
Date:        01/21/2013 12:45 PM
Subject:        Re: Numeric to String
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

As others have mentioned:
You need to pre-declare the string variable.
See ALTER TYPE.
"Didn't work?"  Please elaborate:  Please read my post "Tips on Posting the
the SPSS List".
Post what the variable looks like in the beginning.
Post whatever error messages/warnings!
Hard to see why anything REALLY needs to be a string variable UNLESS:.
If for example you have non numeric characters using a compute post import
will not salvage these instances.  You need to CYA in Excel prior to import.
If not, the a string variable really has no advantages over a numeric.
--

AndrewM wrote
> Good morning,
>
> I am importing data from Excel and have a variable that is importing as
> numeric, but I need to be a string.  I selected the column in Excel and
> changed the format of the cells to 'text' and thought that would do the
> trick, but it didn't.
>
> How can I do this in SPSS?  I did some Googling and found this, but it
> didn't work:
>
> COMPUTE notcontinuing=STRING(notcontinuing,N8).
> EXECUTE.
>
> The name of the variable is: notcontinuing.
>
> I'm an SPSS novice, so the simpler the solution, the better.  Thanks!
>
> Andrew





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View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Numeric-to-String-tp5717551p5717557.html
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