Stata to spss

[Maguin, Eugene]

All,

In the near future I expect to get some data files that have been analysed
using some version of stata. I see that spss has a 'get stata' command. I
need some clarification and background on how that command works with
current and recent versions of stata, which I also know nothing about. If I
can read the files via that command, I don't need to say anything to the
supplier; if not, then we need to work out a transfer procedure.

The 17 documentation says 'get stata' works with stata varsions 4-8. What is
the connection between those versions and the current/recent versions? I
expect to get 18 soon. Do 18s capabilities change with respect to stata
files? If current/recent stata versions files are unreadable by spss, can
stata save its data files in older and readable-by-spss formats?

The documentation contains these two statements.

Value labels. Stata value labels are converted to PASW Statistics value
labels, except for Stata
value labels assigned to "extended" missing values.

Missing values. Stata "extended" missing values are converted to
system-missing values.

Would you briefly explain 'extended' and how that relates to missing values
and value labels.

Thanks, Gene Maguin

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[Enzmann]

Gene,

Two answers to your question:

Gene Maguin wrote:

> All,
>
> In the near future I expect to get some data files that have been analysed
> using some version of stata. I see that spss has a 'get stata' command. I
> need some clarification and background on how that command works with
> current and recent versions of stata, which I also know nothing about. If I
> can read the files via that command, I don't need to say anything to the
> supplier; if not, then we need to work out a transfer procedure.
>
> The 17 documentation says 'get stata' works with stata varsions 4-8. What is
> the connection between those versions and the current/recent versions? I
> expect to get 18 soon. Do 18s capabilities change with respect to stata
> files? If current/recent stata versions files are unreadable by spss, can
> stata save its data files in older and readable-by-spss formats?

Yes, the Stata -saveold- command saves Stata datasets in in Stata
8/Stata 9 format (both are the same). See:
http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?save

> The documentation contains these two statements.
>
> Value labels. Stata value labels are converted to PASW Statistics value
> labels, except for Stata
> value labels assigned to "extended" missing values.
>
> Missing values. Stata "extended" missing values are converted to
> system-missing values.
>
> Would you briefly explain 'extended' and how that relates to missing values
> and value labels.

Like the SPSS "sysmis" Stata knows . as "standard" missing value,
represented by a *very* large positive value. Next there are 26
"extended" missing values, starting with .a. The ordering (because
nonmissing values are < than .) is: nonmissing numbers < . < .a < .b <
.c ... < .z . Extended missing values have value labels. See:
http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?missing

If the Stata data set has not more missing values than SPSS can handle
you  can recode Stata missings values to values < . (for example,
999999, 999998, 999997), relabel these values, and import the dataset in
SPSS.

Success,
Dirk

========================================
Dr. Dirk Enzmann
Institute of Criminal Sciences
Dept. of Criminology
Rothenbaumchaussee 33
D-20148 Hamburg
Germany

phone: [phone] (office)
        +49-(0)40-42838.4591 (Mrs Billon)
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