Version 16 saving variable views as .sav files

[Art Kendall]

I have an impression that version 16 was supposed to have a way to save
variable views as new files. (was it a PYTHON application?)
I think I have seen this discussed?  Has anyone put this application
together?

I have a few hundred files (several years for each US State). I would
like to concatenate the data view information into a single file.
What I would like to end up with is a system file with a variable for
the name of the source file and variables for the name, type, . . .
decimals.
 The result would be one file with "stacked" variable views.

If there were a PYTHON wrapper, it would either take all the files in a
list or search for files with a certain pattern.

The names of the files have  2 or 3 characters indicating the State
followed by an underscore and the same remainder for the name of the file.
For one set e.g.,
AR_mrgd.sas7bdat
AZ__mrgd.sas7bdat
CA1_mrgd.sas7bdat
CA2_mrgd.sas7bdat
...
WV_mrgd.sas7bdat
All states have one file except CA which has 2 because there are so many
schools.

Other sets have  2  characters indicating the State and 4 character year
portion, e.g.,
AL2003.sas7bdat
AL2004.sas7bdat
AL2005.sas7bdat
AK2003.sas7bdat
AK2003.sas7bdat
AK2003.sas7bdat
...
WV2005.sas7bdat



Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

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[Richard Ristow]

At 02:51 PM 5/18/2008, Art Kendall wrote:

>I have an impression that version 16 was supposed to have a way to
>save variable views as new files. (was it a PYTHON application?)

Python has access to the data dictionary, and can do all sorts of
things with it. I'm surprised nobody's pointed out some module from
Developer Central to write the data dictionary.

There are two parts to the problem: writing the data dictionary for
ONE file; and looping over a whole set of files, writing the data
dictionary for each. The latter is a macro-looping problem, using
'macro' in the general sense; in this case, you're using Python as a
high-powered macro processor.

There are pre-Python solutions to both. For the 'macro' part, i.e.
looping over the list of files, I'd write an SPSS program to read the
output of the command-prompt DIR command, and write a few lines of
code for each file, to specify the file and INSERT the code that does the work.

For getting the data dictionary from one file, here's an OMS solution
previously posted. I haven't used it for a long time, and can't vouch
for any quirks. From posting
Date:    Wed, 6 Sep 2006 13:30:05 -0400
From:    Richard Ristow <[hidden email]>
Subject: Data dictionary in SPSS
To:      [hidden email]
X-ELNK-Info: spv=0;
X-ELNK-AV: 0
X-ELNK-Info: sbv=0; sbrc=.0; sbf=0b; sbw=000;

This demo runs on the CARS.SAV file that comes with SPSS, but I added
a variable to have one with a long name.

OMS
   /SELECT TABLES
   /IF COMMANDS=['File Information']
       SUBTYPES=['Variable Information']
   /DESTINATION FORMAT=SAV  OUTFILE=ATTRIBS
                VIEWER=NO.
.  DISPLAY VARIABLES.


File Information
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|Output Created               |06-SEP-2006 13:08:42       |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
OMSEND.
GET FILE=ATTRIBS
      /DROP=COMMAND_ SUBTYPE_ LABEL_
      /RENAME=(VAR1=NAME).
LIST.

List
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|Output Created               |06-SEP-2006 13:08:42       |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
The variables are listed in the following order:

LINE   1: NAME Position

LINE   2: Label MeasurementLevel PrintFormat WriteFormat MissingValues


         NAME: Variable_with_long_name  1
        Label: <none>                                    Nominal A8 A8

         NAME: mpg                      2
        Label: Miles per Gallon                          Scale   F4 F4

         NAME: engine                   3
        Label: Engine Displacement (cu. inches)          Scale   F5 F5

         NAME: horse                    4
        Label: Horsepower                                Scale   F5 F5

         NAME: weight                   5
        Label: Vehicle Weight (lbs.)                     Scale   F4 F4

         NAME: accel                    6
        Label: Time to Accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (sec) Scale   F4 F4

         NAME: year                     7
        Label: Model Year (modulo 100)                   Ordinal F2 F2
0

         NAME: origin                   8
        Label: Country of Origin                         Nominal F1 F1

         NAME: cylinder                 9
        Label: Number of Cylinders                       Ordinal F1 F1

         NAME: filter_$                10
        Label: cylrec = 1 | cylrec = 2 (FILTER)          Ordinal F1 F1

Number of cases read:  10    Number of cases listed:  10

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