Re: SPSS 20 Help for Mac

[John F Hall]

Scott

 

The short answer is to use syntax instead of the GUI, but that means typing out the variable names individually with a risk of typing errors.  If you constantly want to use the same set of non-contiguous variables, it might be worth keeping such a list in a separate Word file so that you can copy-paste it (or bits of it) as and when needed into SPSS syntax. 

 

I hardly ever use the GUI, but I just tried:

 

Analyze >> Descriptive Statistics >> Frequencies

 

to paste

 

satis

agetens

marsta

 

into the Variable(s) pane, but it doesn’t work. 

 

Looks like you’re stuck with the long way round, but my tip is very useful for other purposes (eg keeping long bits of MULT RESPONSE syntax).

 

You can alter your SPSS settings.  Check out:

 

Edit >> Options

 

and play around.

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

 

Email:     [hidden email]

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Scott
Sent: 10 October 2012 02:18
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS 20 Help for Mac

 

Hello,

 

I have been attempting to find the answers to these questions for some time.

 

In SPSS when I want to run an analysis I cannot choose multiple variables unless they are consecutive.

Typically you can choose different variables by pressing the command key and clicking (I am using SPSS 20 for Mac, but a similar operation is control and click on Windows), but that doesn't work. If I press the shift bar it selects the variable between the one originally chosen and the last one I choose.

 

Another thing is in my outputs I get so much stuff that I don't need (syntax info, info about the file and computer I run the analysis on); is there any way to get rid of that stuff from automatically coming up after running an analysis?

 

Thank you for your time and any guidance you can lend.

 

S

 

=====================

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[Art Kendall]

I do not use the MAC, but I presume you are using the GUI, which is a great way to write a draft of your syntax.

One workaround might be to use the GUI to write the syntax with just any three variables.  After you paste it to the syntax window, go to the syntax window, go to the place where the list of variables is and see if <utilities> <variables> works for you.

If you have your syntax in a separate file, you might not need it visible in the listing file.
<edit><options><viewer> is the place to designate which parts of the listing are shown or hidden.
On 10/9/2012 8:18 PM, Scott wrote:

Hello,

I have been attempting to find the answers to these questions for some time.

In SPSS when I want to run an analysis I cannot choose multiple variables unless they are consecutive.
Typically you can choose different variables by pressing the command key and clicking (I am using
SPSS 20 for Mac, but a similar operation is control and click on Windows), but that doesn't work. If I
press the shift bar it selects the variable between the one originally chosen and the last one I choose.

Another thing is in my outputs I get so much stuff that I don't need (syntax info, info about the file
and computer I run the analysis on); is there any way to get rid of that stuff from automatically
coming up after running an analysis?

Thank you for your time and any guidance you can lend.

S

=====================
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

===================== 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

[ViAnn Beadle]

You can define a sets of variables which will then populate a dialog box list with only the variables in the sets. IMHO, this is one of the least useful features in SPSS but might be useful in this context. Way too much abstraction for me but then my data files rarely have more than 100 variables.

 

Too bad that Cmd-click doesn’t work on the Mac to do a discontiguous selection. It used to in the old days of Finder ;-)

 

From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of John F Hall
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 10:51 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS 20 Help for Mac

 

Scott

 

The short answer is to use syntax instead of the GUI, but that means typing out the variable names individually with a risk of typing errors.  If you constantly want to use the same set of non-contiguous variables, it might be worth keeping such a list in a separate Word file so that you can copy-paste it (or bits of it) as and when needed into SPSS syntax. 

 

I hardly ever use the GUI, but I just tried:

 

Analyze >> Descriptive Statistics >> Frequencies

 

to paste

 

satis

agetens

marsta

 

into the Variable(s) pane, but it doesn’t work. 

 

Looks like you’re stuck with the long way round, but my tip is very useful for other purposes (eg keeping long bits of MULT RESPONSE syntax).

 

You can alter your SPSS settings.  Check out:

 

Edit >> Options

 

and play around.

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

 

Email:     [hidden email]

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [hidden email] On Behalf Of Scott
Sent: 10 October 2012 02:18
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS 20 Help for Mac

 

Hello,

 

I have been attempting to find the answers to these questions for some time.

 

In SPSS when I want to run an analysis I cannot choose multiple variables unless they are consecutive.

Typically you can choose different variables by pressing the command key and clicking (I am using SPSS 20 for Mac, but a similar operation is control and click on Windows), but that doesn't work. If I press the shift bar it selects the variable between the one originally chosen and the last one I choose.

 

Another thing is in my outputs I get so much stuff that I don't need (syntax info, info about the file and computer I run the analysis on); is there any way to get rid of that stuff from automatically coming up after running an analysis?

 

Thank you for your time and any guidance you can lend.

 

S

 

=====================

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

[Valerie Villella]

Please note that I am off-site at a workshop on Wednesday October 10 with limited access to my email. I will respond to your email updon my return to the office on Thursday October 11.

Thanks,
Valerie Villella

=====================
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

[Alan Howard]

I thought I was replying to the list but it went only to the OP. The following
suggestion worked for him, so in case anyone else has this same problem.....

> Scott,
>
> Go to the Edit menu and select Options.  On the General tab, there is a
> section labeled Windows.  In that pull-down menu there are three choices,
> Macintosh, SPSS Standard, and SPSS Classic.  When this is set to Macintosh, I
> am able to select non-consecutive variables by clicking while holding down the
> command key.  When this is set to either SPSS Standard or SPSS Classic, the
> command-click function does not work for me.
>
> Also in the Edit -> Options windows, go to the Viewer tab and there you can
> specify which items you want automatically shown or hidden in the output window.
>
> Alan.....

On 10/9/2012 8:18 PM, Scott wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have been attempting to find the answers to these questions for some time.
>
> In SPSS when I want to run an analysis I cannot choose multiple variables unless they are consecutive.
> Typically you can choose different variables by pressing the command key and clicking (I am using
> SPSS 20 for Mac, but a similar operation is control and click on Windows), but that doesn't work. If I
> press the shift bar it selects the variable between the one originally chosen and the last one I choose.
>
> Another thing is in my outputs I get so much stuff that I don't need (syntax info, info about the file
> and computer I run the analysis on); is there any way to get rid of that stuff from automatically
> coming up after running an analysis?
>
> Thank you for your time and any guidance you can lend.
>
> S
>
> =====================
> 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

--

Alan B. Howard
Statistical Software Support & Consulting Services
115 Bailey/Howe Library - University of Vermont
538 Main St. - Burlington, VT  05405-0036
[hidden email] - [phone]

=====================
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