SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

[Ratna Wynn-2]

Hi

We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.

 

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.

 

Thanks,

 

Ratna

[Bruce Weaver]

Ratna Wynn-2 wrote

Hi
We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS
16 and 17 has been fixed.

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and
paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume
of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have
noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me
this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed
the case.

Thanks,

Ratna

I still have v17, so I don't know the answer to your question about v18.  However, what about this as a workaround solution for versions 16 and 17?

FLIP all.

Now select and copy your variable names from the CASE_LBL variable in the flipped data file.

[John F Hall]

I have 18.  I write long syntax files in Word *.txt or *.doc files first, but you have to be careful with primes. 

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 8:35 PM

Subject: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

Hi

We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.

 

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.

 

Thanks,

 

Ratna

[Jon K Peck]

This works fine in version 18.0.2, but I'm curious about why you need to do this.

Regards,
Jon Peck
SPSS, an IBM Company
[hidden email]
312-651-3435

From:	Ratna Wynn <[hidden email]>
To:	[hidden email]
Date:	07/27/2010 12:38 PM
Subject:	[SPSSX-L] SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names              and labels
Sent by:	"SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Hi
We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.
 
In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.
 
Thanks,
 
Ratna

[Wilhelm Landerholm | Queue]

Hi!
Version 18 works fine, but if you for example uses "GetObject" or similar in external scripts to communicate with SPSS you have to make some changes.

If you often work with Excel and have to copy and paste you might have use for the following scripts:

1) Export all information (Mark everything and copy and paste into Excel.)
2) Find variable and values

All the best

Wilhelm (Wille) Landerholm
[phone]

Queue/STATB
BOX 92
162 12 Vallingby
Sweden

http://www.qsweden.com
http://www.statb.com

QUEUE/STATB - your partner in data analysis, data modeling and data mining.

2010/7/27 Ratna Wynn <[hidden email]>

Hi

We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.

 

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.

 

Thanks,

 

Ratna

[Roberts, Michael-2]

Hi Ratna,

 

Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17 (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)

 

HTH

 

Mike

 

From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ratna Wynn
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 2:35 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

 

Hi

We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.

 

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.

 

Thanks,

 

Ratna

[Bruce Weaver]

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote

Hi Ratna,

Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17 (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)

HTH

Mike

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name" heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.  Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.  

Bruce

[Roberts, Michael-2]

In addition to what Bruce has posted, the keyboard combination: holding down shift+ctrl and the down arrow which would have allowed a quick selection of the variables does not work; however the ctrl+down+c approach still works.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bruce Weaver
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 5:26 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote:

>
> Hi Ratna,
>
> Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17
> (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use
> the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and
> paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps
> the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)
>
> HTH
>
> Mike
>

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name"
heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.
Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name
in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.

Bruce


-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--
View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/SPSS-Version-18-ability-to-copy-paste-variable-names-and-labels-tp2256176p2256435.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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

[Ratna Wynn-2]

Bruce and Michael,

Thanks for the tips.  I tried both - I have a data file with 1652 variables. Both these methods only get me the first 83 variables not the whole list. I did get some creative solutions like the flip  and the scripts that will solve my immediate problem.  

Thank you to all that helped

 

Ratna

 

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]> wrote:

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote:
>
> Hi Ratna,
>
> Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17
> (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use
> the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and
> paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps
> the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)
>
> HTH
>
> Mike
>

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name"
heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.
Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name
in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.

Bruce

-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--

View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/SPSS-Version-18-ability-to-copy-paste-variable-names-and-labels-tp2256176p2256435.html

Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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

[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi,

One very simple way would be to use this:

begin program.
import spssaux
f = open("d:/temp/names.txt", "wb")
f.write("\r\n".join(spssaux.GetVariableNamesList()))
f.close()
end program.

If you'd use the xlwt module you could write it straight to xls.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- On Tue, 7/27/10, Ratna Wynn <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Ratna Wynn <[hidden email]>
Subject: [SPSSX-L] SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels
To: [hidden email]
Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 8:35 PM

Hi

We were considering purchasing SPSS 18 but wanted to be sure a bug in SPSS 16 and 17 has been fixed.

 

In SPSS versions prior to 16 you could go to the variable view and copy and paste variable names and labels into excel so you could write a large volume of syntax in excel  and paste those into the syntax editor. However I have noticed that SPSS 16 and 17 do not allow you to do that. Someone had told me this had been fixed in 18. Does any one using SPSS 18 know if this is indeed the case.

 

Thanks,

 

Ratna

[Ruben Geert van den Berg]

I sometimes use the macro below to create an EXCEL sheet containing the variable names + varlabs and some other stuff in my working directory. It should run only if you specify the required argument, the active dataset name and it will be pretty useless if you don't use a CD command. And it may pollute your viewer. I'm sorry for the abbreviations, it's from a while ago.
 
Best,

Ruben van den Berg
Consultant Models & Methods
TNS NIPO
Email: [hidden email]
Mobiel: [phone]
Telefoon: [phone]
Internet: www.tns-nipo.com

cd 'c:\temp'.
 
data list free/id test_1 test_2 desired_test_2B.
begin data
1 2 3 3
2 3 '' 3
3 4 2 2
4 5 '' 5
5 6 6 6
end data.
 
dataset name d1.
 
define !dicxls(dat=!tok(1))
!if (!dat !ne '') !then
DATASET DECLARE  dicxls.
OMS
  /SELECT TABLES
  /IF COMMANDS=['File Information'] SUBTYPES=['Variable Information']
  /DESTINATION FORMAT=SAV NUMBERED=TableNumber_
   OUTFILE='dicxls' VIEWER=NO
  /TAG='dicxls'.
disp var.
omsend tag=['dicxls'].
datas act dicxls.
ren var var1=variable.
var wid label (60).
sav tra out 'dict.xls'
/typ xls
/rep
/ver 8
/kee variable to WriteFormat.
datas clo dicxls.
datas act !dat.
!ifend
!enddefine.
 
!dicxls dat=d1.
 
 
 

 

---

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:20:04 -0400
From: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels
To: [hidden email]

Bruce and Michael,

Thanks for the tips.  I tried both - I have a data file with 1652 variables. Both these methods only get me the first 83 variables not the whole list. I did get some creative solutions like the flip  and the scripts that will solve my immediate problem.  

Thank you to all that helped

 

Ratna

 

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]> wrote:

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote:

>
> Hi Ratna,
>
> Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17
> (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use
> the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and
> paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps
> the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)
>
> HTH
>
> Mike
>

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name"
heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.
Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name
in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.

Bruce

-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--

View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/SPSS-Version-18-ability-to-copy-paste-variable-names-and-labels-tp2256176p2256435.html

Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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

[Mārtiņš Vanags]

Excuse me for simple question, but I did not understand WHY exactly I need to write syntax or use some workaround if I ONLY need to copy 10 or 20 variable names from Excel spreadsheet?

 

In v15.0 it took 3-5 seconds to copy variable name list to SPSS variable view, after that in v16 and v17 it was gone, some sort of bug or something but no one was able to fix it.

 

I’m just happy that this small useless function is back in v19! J

 

 

Regards,

Martin

 

 

From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ruben van den Berg
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:50 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

 

I sometimes use the macro below to create an EXCEL sheet containing the variable names + varlabs and some other stuff in my working directory. It should run only if you specify the required argument, the active dataset name and it will be pretty useless if you don't use a CD command. And it may pollute your viewer. I'm sorry for the abbreviations, it's from a while ago.
 
Best,

Ruben van den Berg
Consultant Models & Methods
TNS NIPO
Email: [hidden email]
Mobiel: [phone]
Telefoon: [phone]
Internet: www.tns-nipo.com

cd 'c:\temp'.
 
data list free/id test_1 test_2 desired_test_2B.
begin data
1 2 3 3
2 3 '' 3
3 4 2 2
4 5 '' 5
5 6 6 6
end data.
 
dataset name d1.
 
define !dicxls(dat=!tok(1))
!if (!dat !ne '') !then
DATASET DECLARE  dicxls.
OMS
  /SELECT TABLES
  /IF COMMANDS=['File Information'] SUBTYPES=['Variable Information']
  /DESTINATION FORMAT=SAV NUMBERED=TableNumber_
   OUTFILE='dicxls' VIEWER=NO
  /TAG='dicxls'.
disp var.
omsend tag=['dicxls'].
datas act dicxls.
ren var var1=variable.
var wid label (60).
sav tra out 'dict.xls'
/typ xls
/rep
/ver 8
/kee variable to WriteFormat.
datas clo dicxls.
datas act !dat.
!ifend
!enddefine.
 
!dicxls dat=d1.
 
 
 

 

---

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:20:04 -0400
From: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels
To: [hidden email]

Bruce and Michael,

Thanks for the tips.  I tried both - I have a data file with 1652 variables. Both these methods only get me the first 83 variables not the whole list. I did get some creative solutions like the flip  and the scripts that will solve my immediate problem.  

Thank you to all that helped

 

Ratna

 

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]> wrote:

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote:

>
> Hi Ratna,
>
> Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17
> (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use
> the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and
> paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps
> the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)
>
> HTH
>
> Mike
>

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name"

heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.
Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name
in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.

Bruce

-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--

View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/SPSS-Version-18-ability-to-copy-paste-variable-names-and-labels-tp2256176p2256435.html

Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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

 

[Ruben Geert van den Berg]

Good question, though. I wrote it mainly for two purposes: 1) in order to use CTRL + F in EXCEL and 2) to communicate with non-SPSS-using colleagues or clients about the contents of the data file they'd like me to do something with.
 
I usually copy-paste directly from variable view to syntax and replace all but the first and last variable names with ' to '. In V17.0.3 this works fine with one reservation: keyboard shortcuts sometimes don't work (but [Edit -> Copy ] in the GUI always works (for me, at least)). However, if anyone is having difficulties copying-pasting, the generated EXCEL sheet could solve those as well.
 
Best,

Ruben van den Berg
Consultant Models & Methods
TNS NIPO
Email: [hidden email]
Mobiel: [phone]
Telefoon: [phone]
Internet: www.tns-nipo.com



 

---

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:58:23 +0300
From: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels
To: [hidden email]

Excuse me for simple question, but I did not understand WHY exactly I need to write syntax or use some workaround if I ONLY need to copy 10 or 20 variable names from Excel spreadsheet?

 

In v15.0 it took 3-5 seconds to copy variable name list to SPSS variable view, after that in v16 and v17 it was gone, some sort of bug or something but no one was able to fix it.

 

I’m just happy that this small useless function is back in v19! J

 

 

Regards,

Martin

 

 

From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ruben van den Berg
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:50 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels

 

I sometimes use the macro below to create an EXCEL sheet containing the variable names + varlabs and some other stuff in my working directory. It should run only if you specify the required argument, the active dataset name and it will be pretty useless if you don't use a CD command. And it may pollute your viewer. I'm sorry for the abbreviations, it's from a while ago.
 
Best,

Ruben van den Berg
Consultant Models & Methods
TNS NIPO
Email: [hidden email]
Mobiel: [phone]
Telefoon: [phone]
Internet: www.tns-nipo.com

cd 'c:\temp'.
 
data list free/id test_1 test_2 desired_test_2B.
begin data
1 2 3 3
2 3 '' 3
3 4 2 2
4 5 '' 5
5 6 6 6
end data.
 
dataset name d1.
 
define !dicxls(dat=!tok(1))
!if (!dat !ne '') !then
DATASET DECLARE  dicxls.
OMS
  /SELECT TABLES
  /IF COMMANDS=['File Information'] SUBTYPES=['Variable Information']
  /DESTINATION FORMAT=SAV NUMBERED=TableNumber_
   OUTFILE='dicxls' VIEWER=NO
  /TAG='dicxls'.
disp var.
omsend tag=['dicxls'].
datas act dicxls.
ren var var1=variable.
var wid label (60).
sav tra out 'dict.xls'
/typ xls
/rep
/ver 8
/kee variable to WriteFormat.
datas clo dicxls.
datas act !dat.
!ifend
!enddefine.
 
!dicxls dat=d1.
 
 
 

 

---

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:20:04 -0400
From: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: SPSS Version 18 - ability to copy/paste variable names and labels
To: [hidden email]

Bruce and Michael,

Thanks for the tips.  I tried both - I have a data file with 1652 variables. Both these methods only get me the first 83 variables not the whole list. I did get some creative solutions like the flip  and the scripts that will solve my immediate problem.  

Thank you to all that helped

 

Ratna

 

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]> wrote:

Roberts, Michael-2 wrote:

>
> Hi Ratna,
>
> Not sure whether I understand you correctly, but we are using version 17
> (patched 3 times!) and are able to highlight the variables and then use
> the ctrl+c key combination or the right mouse button click to copy and
> paste them both, to Excel and from Excel into the data editor.  Perhaps
> the problem was specific to version 16 or the unpatched 17(?)
>
> HTH
>
> Mike
>

I just tried this (in v17.0.3), and found that I had to click on the "Name"

heading above row 1 (in Variable View) to select all of the variable names.
Clicking on the name in row 1, holding down Shift, and clicking on the name
in the last row did not work.  Perhaps this is what Ratna has been trying.

Bruce

-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--

View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/SPSS-Version-18-ability-to-copy-paste-variable-names-and-labels-tp2256176p2256435.html

Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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