Using spss.DataSet Class (Python)

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I began my process with the following code (extracted from the IBM knowledge center).  

BEGIN PROGRAM.
import spss
with spss.DataStep():
   datasetObj = spss.Dataset(name=None)
   datasetObj.varlist.append('numvar')
   datasetObj.varlist.append('strvar',1)
   datasetObj.varlist['numvar'].label = 'Sample numeric variable'
   datasetObj.varlist['strvar'].label = 'Sample string variable'
   datasetObj.cases.append([1,'a'])
   datasetObj.cases.append([2,'b'])
END PROGRAM.

I pared it down to this...to see if I could understand how it works.

BEGIN PROGRAM.
import spss
with spss.DataStep():
   datasetObj = spss.Dataset(name=None)
   datasetObj.varlist.append('numvar')
   datasetObj.varlist['numvar'].label = 'Sample numeric variable'
   datasetObj.cases.append([1])
   datasetObj.cases.append([2])
   datasetObj.cases.append([28])
END PROGRAM.

The description for spss.DataSet class indicates that it allows one to modify a data set.  So to that end I used the following (code below), hoping to append a case with the value of 111 for NewVar.  When run, it presents an error message of that "datasetObj = spss.Dataset(name= * )" is invalid.  Clearly I don't get it as the information in the knowledge center presents that [Specifying name="*" or omitting the argument will create a Dataset object for the active dataset.]  Am I not creating a "DataSet Object"?

BEGIN PROGRAM.
import spss
with spss.DataStep():
   datasetObj = spss.Dataset(name= * )
   datasetObj.varlist.append('numvar')
   datasetObj.cases.append([111])
END PROGRAM.

It is painfully clear I don't know what I am doing.

Any help will be really appreciated.  
Thanks.

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BEGIN PROGRAM.
import spss
with spss.DataStep():
   datasetObj = spss.Dataset(name= * )  -------  Leaving out the "*" did the trick....back to the manual for me.
   datasetObj.varlist.append('numvar')
   datasetObj.cases.append([111])
END PROGRAM.

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