Syntax to crop variable labels

[John F Hall]

I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

 

TIA

 

John Hall

 

(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to

[Art Kendall]

copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.

data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
begin data
(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
end data.
print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
execute.

Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:

I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

 

TIA

 

John Hall

 

(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to

===================== 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,

 

Something like this might also do what you want:

 

set mprint = on.
get file = 'c:/program files/spss/employee data.sav'.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux
def truncate_labels(var, maxlen):
  vardict = spssaux.VariableDict()
  labels = vardict[var].ValueLabels
  for k, v in labels.iteritems():
    spss.Submit("add value labels %s %s '%s'."  % (var, k, v[0:maxlen] + "..."))
truncate_labels(var = "jobcat", maxlen = 3)
end program.

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 Mon, 7/5/10, Art Kendall <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Art Kendall <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Syntax to crop variable labels
To: [hidden email]
Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 5:51 PM

copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.

data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
begin data
(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
end data.
print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
execute.

Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:

I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

 

TIA

 

John Hall

 

(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to

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

[John F Hall]

Art

 

Thanks for the syntax: this is what I get: 

 

     614 "My assignments don't require using technology                          "/

     615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use               "/

     616 "Software is not good enough                                            "/

     617 "Teachers don't know how to use the technology                          "/

     618 "Teachers limit our technology use                                      "/

     619 "There are rules against using technology at my school                  "/

     620 "My school has different computers or software than I am used to        "/

 

but I don't want the numbers, just the text.  However, if the syntax can be amended to yield

 

     token614 "My assignments don't require using technology                          "/

     token615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use               "/

 

I can then run var labels with the result.  This saves manually amending about 400 labels.

 

John

 

PS  I like my slashes at the beginning of the line (with a preceding space of course) where I can see them.

 

 

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

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 5:51 PM

Subject: Re: Syntax to crop variable labels

copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.

data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
begin data
(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
end data.
print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
execute.

Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:

I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

 

TIA

 

John Hall

 

(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to

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

[John F Hall]

Albert-Jan

 

Thanks for this.  Art sent me something that almost works, but I really must go and cut the grass before dinner.  I'll try your syntax out later while Mrs H is watching Coronation St, East Enders, Coronation St

 

John

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

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 6:13 PM

Subject: Re: Syntax to crop variable labels

Hi,

 

Something like this might also do what you want:

 

set mprint = on.
get file = 'c:/program files/spss/employee data.sav'.
begin program.
import spss, spssaux
def truncate_labels(var, maxlen):
  vardict = spssaux.VariableDict()
  labels = vardict[var].ValueLabels
  for k, v in labels.iteritems():
    spss.Submit("add value labels %s %s '%s'."  % (var, k, v[0:maxlen] + "..."))
truncate_labels(var = "jobcat", maxlen = 3)
end program.

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 Mon, 7/5/10, Art Kendall <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Art Kendall <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SPSSX-L] Syntax to crop variable labels
To: [hidden email]
Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 5:51 PM

copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.

data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
begin data
(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
end data.
print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
execute.

Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:

I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

 

TIA

 

John Hall

 

(614)My assignments don't require using technology
(615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
(616)Software is not good enough
(617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
(618)Teachers limit our technology use
(619)There are rules against using technology at my school
(620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to

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

[Bruce Weaver]

John, just modify the PRINT command, in that case.  Judging by your post in the other thread, I think you want something like:

print  /' token_id.' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.

I get this for output:

 token_id.614 "My assignments don't require using technology                          "/
 token_id.615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use               "/
 token_id.616 "Software is not good enough                                            "/
 token_id.617 "Teachers don't know how to use the technology                          "/
 token_id.618 "Teachers limit our technology use                                      "/
 token_id.619 "There are rules against using technology at my school                  "/
 token_id.620 "My school has different computers or software than I am used to        "/

Bruce

John F Hall wrote

Art

Thanks for the syntax: this is what I get:

     614 "My assignments don't require using technology                          "/

     615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use               "/

     616 "Software is not good enough                                            "/

     617 "Teachers don't know how to use the technology                          "/

     618 "Teachers limit our technology use                                      "/

     619 "There are rules against using technology at my school                  "/

     620 "My school has different computers or software than I am used to        "/



but I don't want the numbers, just the text.  However, if the syntax can be amended to yield



     token614 "My assignments don't require using technology                          "/

     token615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use               "/



I can then run var labels with the result.  This saves manually amending about 400 labels.



John



PS  I like my slashes at the beginning of the line (with a preceding space of course) where I can see them.





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

  From: Art Kendall
  To: [e-mail]
  Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 5:51 PM
  Subject: Re: Syntax to crop variable labels


  copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
  copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.

  data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
  begin data
  (614)My assignments don't require using technology
  (615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
  (616)Software is not good enough
  (617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
  (618)Teachers limit our technology use
  (619)There are rules against using technology at my school
  (620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
  end data.
  print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
  execute.

  Art Kendall
  Social Research Consultants

  On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:
    I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.

    TIA

    John Hall

    (614)My assignments don't require using technology
    (615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
    (616)Software is not good enough
    (617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
    (618)Teachers limit our technology use
    (619)There are rules against using technology at my school
    (620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
  ===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [e-mail] (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

[Rita Clivio]

Hi John

have you to follow this procedure a lot of time or one time only?

And if you copy your statements in excel and then using "Extract String" and
"Concat" you manage your labels?

I Know it's not a solution by syntax ... but semel in anno ...


Rita


-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] Per conto di Bruce
Weaver
Inviato: lunedì 5 luglio 2010 20.01
A: [hidden email]
Oggetto: Re: Syntax to crop variable labels

John, just modify the PRINT command, in that case.  Judging by your post in
the other thread, I think you want something like:

print  /' token_id.' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.

I get this for output:

 token_id.614 "My assignments don't require using technology
"/
 token_id.615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
"/
 token_id.616 "Software is not good enough
"/
 token_id.617 "Teachers don't know how to use the technology
"/
 token_id.618 "Teachers limit our technology use
"/
 token_id.619 "There are rules against using technology at my school
"/
 token_id.620 "My school has different computers or software than I am used
to        "/

Bruce



John F Hall wrote:

>
> Art
>
> Thanks for the syntax: this is what I get:
>
>      614 "My assignments don't require using technology
> "/
>
>      615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
> "/
>
>      616 "Software is not good enough
> "/
>
>      617 "Teachers don't know how to use the technology
> "/
>
>      618 "Teachers limit our technology use
> "/
>
>      619 "There are rules against using technology at my school
> "/
>
>      620 "My school has different computers or software than I am used to
> "/
>
>
>
> but I don't want the numbers, just the text.  However, if the syntax can
> be amended to yield
>
>
>
>      token614 "My assignments don't require using technology
> "/
>
>      token615 "School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
> "/
>
>
>
> I can then run var labels with the result.  This saves manually amending
> about 400 labels.
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> PS  I like my slashes at the beginning of the line (with a preceding space
> of course) where I can see them.
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>   From: Art Kendall
>   To: [hidden email]
>   Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 5:51 PM
>   Subject: Re: Syntax to crop variable labels
>
>
>   copy the syntax below into a syntax window.  See if this is what you
> need. Then try replacing the piece of text in the syntax window between
> "begin data" and "end data" with the text from the other source.
>   copy the resulting print info into a new syntax window.
>
>   data list fixed /item (1x,f3) itemlabel(1x, a70).
>   begin data
>   (614)My assignments don't require using technology
>   (615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
>   (616)Software is not good enough
>   (617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
>   (618)Teachers limit our technology use
>   (619)There are rules against using technology at my school
>   (620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
>   end data.
>   print  /'     ' item '"' itemlabel '"/'.
>   execute.
>
>   Art Kendall
>   Social Research Consultants
>
>   On 7/5/2010 11:29 AM, John F Hall wrote:
>     I am working on a file constructed by someone else.  There are
> hundreds of variable labels of the following type.  Rather than going
> through and deleting the brackets and their contents manually, is there
> any syntax to do it for me?  Otherwise I'll be at it all night.
>
>     TIA
>
>     John Hall
>
>     (614)My assignments don't require using technology
>     (615)School filters or firewalls block websites I need to use
>     (616)Software is not good enough
>     (617)Teachers don't know how to use the technology
>     (618)Teachers limit our technology use
>     (619)There are rules against using technology at my school
>     (620)My school has different computers or software than I am used to
>   ===================== 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
>

-----
--
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.
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[Nirit Avnimelech]

Hi all,

I'm sure you've been asked this, but I haven't been able to find any
reasonable answers - please help!
I have a client that wants me to produce tables that they can then work on
with their scripts.  The tables have to comply with a very strict table
look.
The problem?  They're sticking with v.14 (all their scripts etc. are for
that version), and I work with v.17...
The reader doesn't do me any good - I don't need to read .spo files, I need
to produce them!
Does anyone know of any conversion programs for converting .spv to .spo and
.tlo to .stt???

Any suggestion will be accepted with gratitude!

:-)

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