cases to vars

[Weeks, Kyle]

I believe that the copy/paste and import issues you mention are fixed in v17. If you find bugs please report them to [hidden email], the will allow us to track and fix these issues.

While we make it a guideline not to lose functionality, sometimes exceptions need to be made. These exceptions allow us to do things like to now release a Mac version on a regular basis rather than being a Windows only product.

Ian, I invite you and others on the list to beta test and/or to serve on the customer advisory board. If you are interested please let me know.

Regards.

Kyle

-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Martin <[hidden email]>
To: Weeks, Kyle; SPSSX(r) Discussion <[hidden email]>
Sent: Mon Nov 17 22:17:44 2008
Subject: Re: Using SPSS Import Wizard to read text data

Kyle,

I don't doubt the sincerity and helpfulness of you and other SPSS  
staff who contribute to the discussion in this listserv forum, and  
who provide very useful advice on SPSS application and support.  
However, I find myself somewhat in agreement with Diana Kornbrot's  
take on the evolution or devolution of features in SPSS.

I've seen SPSS graph output go from a fully editable object based  
output (in V. 6, I think?), to graphs that are only partially  
editable or not at all in Adobe Illustrator (V. 11; every single  
character a separate Powerpoint drawing object?!!) to the current  
output (bitmap graphs? Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1980 or  
something?).  Version 16 won't copy/paste to older versions of Excel  
or ANY version of Illustrator and won't import from a file path that  
includes special characters.  And nearly a year on, there are no  
fixes for these in V. 16.

I haven't had a chance to try V. 17 yet, but V. 16 is basically  
unusable for me.  I have to keep an old machine going just so I can  
get work done in V.11 mac. V. 11 of course won't run in current OS 10.5.

Hoping for improvements,
Ian Martin

Ian D. Martin, Ph.D.

Tsuji Laboratory
University of Waterloo
Dept. of Environment & Resource Studies


On 17 Nov, 2008, at 5:26 PM, Weeks, Kyle wrote:

> Diana, please see my comments below in-line.
>
> Please keep in mind about the balance we have to make between the  
> requirements of the customer base at large and the requirements of  
> a few. In order to try to help more users get SPSS Statistics to do  
> what they specifically require, we have opened the product to broad  
> customization and extension by users with features such as the  
> Programmability Extension, Graphboard, and the Custom Dialog  
> Builder (the latter two are new v17). In scaling back development  
> in one area, another will invariably be felt by some to be  
> underdeveloped. We have an extensive advisory board of customers  
> and beta program to help us get the most feedback possible to help  
> us make the best decision possible with regards to the areas in  
> which we commit resources.
>
> I would like to extend to you the offer to beta test future  
> versions of SPSS Statistics.  If you are interested, please let me  
> know.
>
> Regards.
>
> Kyle Weeks, Ph.D.
> Director of Product Strategy, SPSS Statistics
> SPSS Inc.
> [hidden email]
> www.spss.com
> SPSS Inc. helps organizations turn data into insight through  
> predictive analytics.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On  
> Behalf Of kornbrot
> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 12:43 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Using SPSS Import Wizard to read text data
>
> A general rule about SPSS
> 1.  The newer the version the worse the import facilities
> 16 on the mac is absolutely dire, will not correctly import  
> from .xslx for m
> any files, as it makes weird incorrect guesses
>
> [Weeks, Kyle] version 16 was the first version to be able to  
> read .xslx files.  If you have specific examples of incorrect  
> imports please send them to [hidden email] so they can be filed  
> and tracked.
> Slightly better with .xls, BUT
> STILL can¹t parse space in a variable name
> STILL can¹t use upper & lower case, or special characters in  
> variable names
> STILL can¹t have string use string variable data starting with a  
> number
> All the above are VERY easy to fix by a competent programmer, about  
> 2 days
> Work
>
>  [Weeks, Kyle] I am afraid that you are vastly underestimating the  
> amount of work required for these features. I see that in other  
> posting that Rick Oliver has explained some of the logic involved.
>
> All fixed in versions of JMP & other user friendly programmes at  
> least a
> decade ago.
> 2.  The newer the version the worse the interface to the graph  
> functions,
> and the fewer the options
> Please keep legacy graphs  much quicker and more flexible
> One just fills in x, & y axes and categroical grouoing factors for  
> colour
> and pattern
> Also dialogues no longer permit changes to line width
> All that programming effort waste on making life difficult for  
> ysuers as
> they slowly drag variables to axes.
>
> I¹d really like a response from SPSS themselves on all this
> SPSS is to be congratulated on improved computational functionality
> Why is interface so appalling  and getting WORSE
> Why are so many useful graph tailoring functions disappearing from  
> dialogue
> interface?
>
>
> [Weeks, Kyle] I need some more details on the issues you mention.  
> Are you referring to the old interactive graphics (IGRAPH) editor?  
> The IGRAPH editor was replaced in v16 with the Chart Editor that is  
> used in the other graphics systems.  The old IGRAPH editor was  
> based on outdated technology that could no longer be maintained.  
> Consolidating technology allows us to do things like release a Mac  
> version on a regular basis going forward.
> SPSS please answer
> Best
>
> Diana
>
>
> On 17/11/2008 17:55, "SPSS Support" <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>   If the .tpf was saved from an earlier SPSS version, then you  
>> will need to
>> recreate the format in SPSS 17. As noted in the resolution which  
>> I've pasted
>> below (from http://support.spss.com ), the code for creating tpf  
>> and sql files
>> was changed extensively in SPSS 17.
>>
>> David Matheson
>> SPSS Statistical Support
>> ****************************
>>
>> Resolution number: 79341  Created on: Aug 26 2008  Last Reviewed  
>> on: Sep 22
>> 2008
>>
>> Problem Subject:  Saved tpf or spq files cannot be opened with  
>> later versions
>> of SPSS Statistics.
>>
>> Problem Description:  I have saved a query (spq) from the Database  
>> Wizard
>> using SPSS 16.0.x (or earlier). I try to open my saved ODBC query  
>> in SPSS
>> Statistics 17.0.x.
>> -or-
>> I have saved a text file format file (tpf) from the Text Import  
>> Wizard using
>> SPSS 16.0.x. I try to open text using my saved TPF file.
>>
>> I get the following error the next time I try to edit the query  
>> again:
>>
>> The query file '--File Path--' could not be opened.
>> The file format may be incompatible with the installed version of  
>> SPSS.
>>
>> How can I fix this?
>>
>>
>> Resolution Subject: This problem has been reported to SPSS  
>> Development - No
>> Workaround Available
>>
>> Resolution Description:
>> Unfortunately, the code for these two functions needed to be  
>> completely
>> rewritten in SPSS Statistics 17.0. Due to this fact, SPSS  
>> Statistics 17.0.x
>> will not be able to read TPF and SPQ files created from SPSS 16 or  
>> earlier
>> versions. Please recreate your queries or predefined formats in  
>> SPSS 17.0.
>> This allows for saved queries from SPSS 17 Statistics to be opened in
>> subsequent releases when they occur. We apologize for the  
>> inconvenience.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On  
>> Behalf Of
>> Khaneja, Gurvinder
>> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 9:49 AM
>> To: [hidden email]
>> Subject: Re: Using SPSS Import Wizard to read text data
>>
>> Hi all,
>> I have started using SPSS version 17 and as  routine, when I tried  
>> to read in
>> data from text file using the Text Import wizard (using my saved  
>> *.tpf file),
>> it does not go beyond step 4 .  Step 5 shows a blank screen.  I  
>> tried going
>> back to SPSS version 16 and it works.
>>
>> Am I missing something or is there a bug in the new software?  
>> Please advice.
>> G. Khaneja
>>
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>
> Professor Diana Kornbrot
>  School of Psychology
>  University of Hertfordshire
>  College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, UK
>
>  email:  [hidden email]
>  web:    http://web.mac.com/kornbrot/iweb/KornbrotHome.html
>  voice:   [phone]
>  fax:      [phone]
> Home
>  19 Elmhurst Avenue
>  London N2 0LT, UK
>
>     voice:   [phone]
>     mobile: [phone]
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>
> =======
> 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
>
> =====================
> 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