Warning: Undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.

[Ana Budilivski]

Hi all!

First - please don't hate me for not knowing how to use syntax.

I checked this error/warning on your website, but no answer solved my problem.. or I'm just too far from SPSS to know how to apply it.
Well anyway..

I wanted to do some descriptive analysis for one variable, but it keeps giving me this warning:

Text: Return Command: DESCRIPTIVES
An undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable was specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.  Check spelling and verify the existence of this variable.
Execution of this command stops.

also, when I want to recode the missings, it gives me the following error for the same variable:

>Error # 4631 in column 8.  Text: f1_return
>On the RECODE command, the list of variables to be recoded includes the name
>of a nonexistent variable.
>Execution of this command stops.

So absolutely no syntax - just the simple Anylze-Descriptive-Frequencies and Transform-Recode

My gratitude for your help will probably not be obvious for you, but it will surely make me very much in debt to you, so thank you!

Best wishes from Switzerland!

Ana

[Jarrod Teo-2]

Hi Ana,

Dont worry, even some of us seasoned users should get these errors and warnings.

> Text: Return Command: DESCRIPTIVES
> An undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable was specified in
> a variable list which accepts only standard variables. Check spelling and
> verify the existence of this variable.
> Execution of this command stops.

If you had used an SPSS syntax, this is trying to tell you that the variable is

1) Variable not in the data

2) Variable is wrongly spell in your command

 

> >Error # 4631 in column 8. Text: f1_return 
> >On the RECODE command, the list of variables to be recoded includes the
> name 
> >of a nonexistent variable. 
> >Execution of this command stops.

Sounds like that same issue. Among your list of variables

1) Variable not in the data

2) Wrongly spell in your command

If you are using a list of variables... say

frequencies v1 to v10.

Make sure that the v1 to v10 are indeed lining up in chronological orders.

As in your data should be

v1, v2, v3, .... v9, v10

not 

v1, v2, v10, v3, v4....

else unspeakable horror will happen.

I as a syntax user is more worried of logical errors.... That is the unspeakable horror when you have 99999 lines of codes. When that happens, I will go for lunch then start debugging.

Warmest regards

Jarrod

> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 02:02:35 -0700

> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Warning: Undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.
> To: [hidden email]
>
> Hi all!
>
> First - please don't hate me for not knowing how to use syntax.
>
> I checked this error/warning on your website, but no answer solved my
> problem.. or I'm just too far from SPSS to know how to apply it.
> Well anyway..
>
> I wanted to do some descriptive analysis for one variable, but it keeps
> giving me this warning:
>
> Text: Return Command: DESCRIPTIVES
> An undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable was specified in
> a variable list which accepts only standard variables. Check spelling and
> verify the existence of this variable.
> Execution of this command stops.
>
> also, when I want to recode the missings, it gives me the following error
> for the same variable:
>
> >Error # 4631 in column 8. Text: f1_return
> >On the RECODE command, the list of variables to be recoded includes the
> name
> >of a nonexistent variable.
> >Execution of this command stops.
>
> So absolutely no syntax - just the simple Anylze-Descriptive-Frequencies and
> Transform-Recode
>
> My gratitude for your help will probably not be obvious for you, but it will
> surely make me very much in debt to you, so thank you!
>
> Best wishes from Switzerland!
>
> Ana
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/Warning-Undefined-variable-name-or-a-scratch-or-system-variable-specified-in-a-variable-list-which-a-tp5730222.html
> Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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[John F Hall]

Ana

 

We need to know more.  You should have a blank syntax editor open: if not, try:

 

File > new > syntax to open a new syntax editor:

 

Write in:

 

DESC <your variable name> . [Don't forget the full stop!]

 

desc v1.

. . and run the job.

 

If that doesn’t work, send me, off-list, an extract (or a screenshot) of your SPSS *.sav file and I’ll have a look at it for you.  You can learn a lot of syntax from my website.

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

[Retired academic survey researcher]

 

Email:   [hidden email] 

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

SPSS start page:  www.surveyresearch.weebly.com/1-survey-analysis-workshop

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ana Budilivski
Sent: 22 July 2015 11:03
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Warning: Undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.

 

Hi all!

 

First - please don't hate me for not knowing how to use syntax.

 

I checked this error/warning on your website, but no answer solved my problem.. or I'm just too far from SPSS to know how to apply it.

Well anyway..

 

I wanted to do some descriptive analysis for one variable, but it keeps giving me this warning:

 

Text: Return Command: DESCRIPTIVES

An undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable was specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.  Check spelling and verify the existence of this variable.

Execution of this command stops.

 

also, when I want to recode the missings, it gives me the following error for the same variable:

 

>Error # 4631 in column 8.  Text: f1_return On the RECODE command, the

>list of variables to be recoded includes the

name

>of a nonexistent variable.

>Execution of this command stops.

 

So absolutely no syntax - just the simple Anylze-Descriptive-Frequencies and Transform-Recode

 

My gratitude for your help will probably not be obvious for you, but it will surely make me very much in debt to you, so thank you!

 

Best wishes from Switzerland!

 

Ana

 

 

 

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

 

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

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[Ana Budilivski]

Dear Jarrod
Dear Mr. Hall,

Thank you both for your rush answer and help :) I will always think good of you and wish you all the best!

Regarding my error - I found the reson for it:
I renamed the variable but for some reason the system did not - So I had the variable f1 which I renamed in f1_return. So in my Variable View the variable was renamed, but when I started working with this data the system told me there is no such variable (the errors above). So I saved and closed the file (that is also a sollution for problems I guess). When I reopened it the variable had its previous name - f1. I believe the system just failed at saving the new variable name.

So thank you again and please recieve my best wishes!

Ana

[John F Hall]

No need to close the file after saving: CTRL+S should do the save with
whatever changes you have made and you can carry on analysing.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Ana
Budilivski
Sent: 22 July 2015 11:45
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Warning: Undefined variable name, or a scratch or system
variable specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.

Dear Jarrod
Dear Mr. Hall,

Thank you both for your rush answer and help :) I will always think good of
you and wish you all the best!

Regarding my error - I found the reson for it:
I renamed the variable but for some reason the system did not - So I had the
variable f1 which I renamed in f1_return. So in my Variable View the
variable was renamed, but when I started working with this data the system
told me there is no such variable (the errors above). So I saved and closed
the file (that is also a sollution for problems I guess). When I reopened it
the variable had its previous name - f1. I believe the system just failed at
saving the new variable name.

So thank you again and please recieve my best wishes!

Ana



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e-or-a-scratch-or-system-variable-specified-in-a-variable-list-which-a-tp573
0222p5730226.html
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=====================
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[Bruce Weaver]

Hello Ana.  As you've already solved your problem (i.e., the renamed variable), I'll say no more about that.  And I won't hate you for not knowing how to use syntax, but I will encourage you to start learning how to use it.  There are numerous benefits to using syntax, many of which are listed on the following webpage (see the Key Items section especially):

   http://spsstools.net/LearningSyntax.htm

Many of us who do use syntax regularly got started by simply exiting the GUI menus via the PASTE button rather than Okay.  Another thing I found very useful was just lurking in a good SPSS discussion forum where people more experienced than I posted nice examples of syntax.  (Back in the day, that was the usenet group comp.soft-sys.stat.spss; nowadays, this forum is a lot more active and a better place to lurk and learn.)  From those more experienced users I learned that the syntax pasted from the GUI is often far more verbose and complicated than it needs to be; and I learned some nice conventions such as lining things up in an orderly way to make the syntax more readable to human eyes, etc.  

So, in case it was not clear from what I said above, don't just read this list when you have a problem of your own.  Instead, read it regularly, because you'll be amazed at how much you can learn from paying attention to the problems that other users are having, and the solutions that are worked out with the help of other list members.  

p.s. - There are also many good tutorials online.  For example, here's a nice site maintained by a member of this mailing list:
 
  http://www.spss-tutorials.com/

Ana Budilivski wrote

Hi all!

First - please don't hate me for not knowing how to use syntax.

--- snip the rest ---

[Jon K Peck]

As Bruce points out, the Paste button is your friend in learning syntax, but to complete the loop, paste the syntax; then put your cursor on the generated command and press F1.  That will give you the full explanation from the Command Syntax Reference of what that syntax means.  Not all the syntax constructs can be created from the dialogs, but this approach will help you bootstrap the learning process.


Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
phone: [phone]




From:        Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        07/22/2015 05:55 AM
Subject:        Re: [SPSSX-L] Warning: Undefined variable name, or a scratch or system variable specified in a variable list which accepts only standard variables.
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Hello Ana.  As you've already solved your problem (i.e., the renamed
variable), I'll say no more about that.  And I won't hate you for not
knowing how to use syntax, but I will encourage you to start learning how to
use it.  There are numerous benefits to using syntax, many of which are
listed on the following webpage (see the Key Items section especially):

  http://spsstools.net/LearningSyntax.htm

Many of us who do use syntax regularly got started by simply exiting the GUI
menus via the PASTE button rather than Okay.  Another thing I found very
useful was just lurking in a good SPSS discussion forum where people more
experienced than I posted nice examples of syntax.  (Back in the day, that
was the usenet group comp.soft-sys.stat.spss; nowadays, this forum is a lot
more active and a better place to lurk and learn.)  From those more
experienced users I learned that the syntax pasted from the GUI is often far
more verbose and complicated than it needs to be; and I learned some nice
conventions such as lining things up in an orderly way to make the syntax
more readable to human eyes, etc.  

So, in case it was not clear from what I said above, don't just read this
list when you have a problem of your own.  Instead, read it regularly,
because you'll be amazed at how much you can learn from paying attention to
the problems that other users are having, and the solutions that are worked
out with the help of other list members.  

p.s. - There are also many good tutorials online.  For example, here's a
nice site maintained by a member of this mailing list:

 http://www.spss-tutorials.com/



Ana Budilivski wrote
> Hi all!
>
> First - please don't hate me for not knowing how to use syntax.
>
> --- snip the rest ---





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

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[Richard Ristow]

At 05:45 AM 7/22/2015, Ana Budilivski wrote:

>I renamed the variable but for some reason the system did not - So I
>had the variable f1 which I renamed in f1_return. So in my Variable
>View the variable was renamed, but when I started working with this
>data the system told me there is no such variable (the errors
>above). So I saved and closed the file. When I reopened it the
>variable had its previous name - f1. I believe the system just
>failed at saving the new variable name.

It's worth trying to think about what happened, because you probably
had some confusion about what SPSS was 'thinking' and doing (which is
easy to do), and if you understand what happened, you'll use SPSS
better in the future -- to start with, you'll avoid the problem the
next time.  (Here I'm pretty confident you found something
confusing.  I hope doesn't sound arrogant; but it's rare to
nonexistent for SPSS to fail to save a change.)

You wrote, "in my Variable View the variable was renamed" but "when I
started working with this data [i.e., running the procedure
DESCRIPTIVES] the system told me there is no such variable".

One way for procedures to 'see' data that differs from what you see
in the data editor, is that there are two sets of data open, and the
procedures are looking at a different copy from the one you see in
the data editor.  This is a genuinely confusing feature of SPSS:  if
you have more than one set of data open, the one the procedures 'see'
is called the "active dataset";  the one you see in the data editor
is called the "foreground dataset";  and they aren't always the
same.  Did you, by any chance, load your data more than once?  If so,
you could have had two copies loaded; made the change to one of them;
but had the procedure try to run a different, unchanged copy.

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