SPSS Macro Variables

[Michael W. Bates]

What is the easiest way to define and call a simple macro variable in SPSS?

I'm a 10+ year SAS user having to switch to SPSS.

In SAS it would go something like this to define it:

%let macrovar = 3;

And something like this to call it:

if var_X = &macrovar;

Any help is greatly appreciated.


Michael W. Bates, Operations Research Analyst
US Navy Recruiting Command
[hidden email]

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[Bruce Weaver]

Michael W. Bates wrote

What is the easiest way to define and call a simple macro variable in SPSS?

I'm a 10+ year SAS user having to switch to SPSS.

In SAS it would go something like this to define it:

%let macrovar = 3;

And something like this to call it:

if var_X = ¯ovar;

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I suggest you take a look at Raynald's SPSS Tools page: http://www.spsstools.net/ .
Here's an example of one of the macro utilities he shows there:

   http://www.spsstools.net/Macros/Utilities/DefinePathByMacro.txt

Good luck!

[Mike Pritchard]

I've been trying to search through some saved files to look for some output
that I saved "just in case".    My preferred search tool - Funduc Search and
Replace - doesn't seem able to search in the .spv files.  It can search
syntax files without problems, which worked in this case.  But I wonder if
there are any tools that list members use to search through .spv files?

Thanks
Mike

_________________________________________________________________________
Mike Pritchard | [hidden email] | 5 Circles Research | 425-444-3410
Helping companies build products that people buy

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[Oliver, Richard]

For your simple example:

define !macrovar() 3 !enddefine.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Michael W. Bates
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 8:48 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS Macro Variables

What is the easiest way to define and call a simple macro variable in SPSS?

I'm a 10+ year SAS user having to switch to SPSS.

In SAS it would go something like this to define it:

%let macrovar = 3;

And something like this to call it:

if var_X = &macrovar;

Any help is greatly appreciated.


Michael W. Bates, Operations Research Analyst
US Navy Recruiting Command
[hidden email]

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