SPSS Computing help

[Natalie-37]

Is there a way to make SPSS compute variables automatically (as in Excel)
as new data is entered?  I know there's a way to compute a variable
manually through Transform--> Compute, but is there a way to add a
computing fomula so that it's not necessary to manually compute data after
new one is entered?

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[Boyd Heather]

As a fairly novice user, Natalie, I am reasonably certain there is not a
way (but am curious to find out if I'm right).

I try hard to make sure all my data is complete before computing
variables but, invariably I have some cleaning up to do after I've
started running stats.  To make this easier, I keep my Syntax
(instructions in SPSS language) so that I can simply highlight the
syntax for the computations that I want, and run them quickly without
having to manually go through the menu each time.  This ensures I have a
record of all the computing that I've done as well.

If you haven't used syntax before, it is as simple as selecting all the
steps from the regular menus for computing your new variable, but
instead of running it right away, select save to save it as syntax.  You
will then have a syntax file that you can name and save.  I am now
comfortable enough with many of the common syntax commands that I just
type out the syntax directly rather than go through the menu.  Syntax
pays off big time when running and rerunning, or when tweaking and
playing with multiple databases with the same variables.

To run syntax, simply open your syntax file, highlight the syntax you
want to run, right click, and select Run.

HB.


Heather Boyd, B.Sc.(OT), M.Sc., OT Reg. (Ont.)
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[hidden email]

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Natalie
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 2:08 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS Computing help

Is there a way to make SPSS compute variables automatically (as in
Excel) as new data is entered?  I know there's a way to compute a
variable manually through Transform--> Compute, but is there a way to
add a computing fomula so that it's not necessary to manually compute
data after new one is entered?

=====================
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[Peck, Jon]

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Marta García-Granero
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 12:32 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] SPSS Computing help

Short answer: NO, SPSS is NOT a spreadsheet (try asking Excel to run
within subjects factorial ANOVA models in turn and you'll see the
difference...).

Keep the formula as syntax (use Paste instead of OK first time you use
it) and then run it after you have entered all the data.

[peck] True, but there is a way to do this (mostly) through programmability if you want.  The Transform.py module, available on Developer Central, allows you to run SPSS transformation syntax.  It, additionally, records the formula as a custom attribute of the target variable, so it is saved with the data, and you can tell the variable to update itself by recomputing itself according to that formula.  It supports DO IF conditions with single or multiple branches, and the Compute, Count, and Recode statements.

So it's definitely not Excel.  It doesn't update automatically, and it doesn't know the order in which multiple transforms should be computed, but it can provide a permanent record saved with the data.

Regards,
Jon Peck

Marta GG

Natalie wrote:
> Is there a way to make SPSS compute variables automatically (as in Excel)
> as new data is entered?  I know there's a way to compute a variable
> manually through Transform--> Compute, but is there a way to add a
> computing fomula so that it's not necessary to manually compute data after
> new one is entered?
>
>
>


--
For miscellaneous SPSS related statistical stuff, visit:
http://gjyp.nl/marta/

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[Hector Maletta]

SPSS, Natalie, is not a spreadsheet. There is no way to do as you wish. Data
(Latin for "given") are what they are. They are figures in a table, not
entries or formulas in a spreadsheet. You can operate on them only via
commands, e.g. transformation commands such as COMPUTE.
You could conceivably implement a macro with the necessary commands, and run
it every time you update the database. But you'll have to invoke the macro
and run it, every time.

Hector

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
Natalie
Sent: 25 August 2009 13:08
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS Computing help

Is there a way to make SPSS compute variables automatically (as in Excel)
as new data is entered?  I know there's a way to compute a variable
manually through Transform--> Compute, but is there a way to add a
computing fomula so that it's not necessary to manually compute data after
new one is entered?

=====================
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command. To leave the list, send the command
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For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD
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[Bruce Weaver]

Boyd Heather wrote

As a fairly novice user, Natalie, I am reasonably certain there is not a
way (but am curious to find out if I'm right).

I try hard to make sure all my data is complete before computing
variables but, invariably I have some cleaning up to do after I've
started running stats.  To make this easier, I keep my Syntax
(instructions in SPSS language) so that I can simply highlight the
syntax for the computations that I want, and run them quickly without
having to manually go through the menu each time.  This ensures I have a
record of all the computing that I've done as well.

If you haven't used syntax before, it is as simple as selecting all the
steps from the regular menus for computing your new variable, but
instead of running it right away, select save to save it as syntax.  You
will then have a syntax file that you can name and save.  I am now
comfortable enough with many of the common syntax commands that I just
type out the syntax directly rather than go through the menu.  Syntax
pays off big time when running and rerunning, or when tweaking and
playing with multiple databases with the same variables.

To run syntax, simply open your syntax file, highlight the syntax you
want to run, right click, and select Run.

HB.

I second Heather's recommendation that you save the syntax.  Just a small correction though--you exit the GUI dialog via the PASTE button, not SAVE.  For a list of good reasons why you should use syntax, see:  

    http://www.spsstools.net/LearningSyntax.htm#KeyItems

One nice thing about using PASTE to generate syntax is that you can learn at your own pace.  Eventually, you will find that for relatively simple tasks you do all the time, it is quicker and easier to type the syntax directly.  You will also discover that some (or maybe a lot?) of pasted syntax is unnecessarily complicated.  E.g., Here is the pasted syntax to create a filter so that only cases with Age < 50 are used:

USE ALL.
COMPUTE filter_$=(Age  < 50).
VARIABLE LABEL filter_$ 'Age  < 50 (FILTER)'.
VALUE LABELS filter_$ 0 'Not Selected' 1 'Selected'.
FORMAT filter_$ (f1.0).
FILTER BY filter_$.
EXECUTE.

But much of that is unnecessary.  Here is how I would type it directly, for example:

use all.
compute f = (Age LT 50).
filter by f.
exe.

For more complicated commands, or commands one doesn't use that often, PASTE can be used to generate a first draft of the syntax (as Art Kendall often says).