checking two identical files for discrepancies

[Gonzalo Kmaid]

Hi,

I am trying to check a double entry process. I
have two separate "identical" files. I want to
check for discrepancies in an "automated" way.

Searching the web, I found two different
solutions: one from David Marso and one from
SPSS´s AnswerNet (archived in Raynald´s site,
thank´s Ray for the good work!), but both
solutions requires to declare variable names in advance.

Since the file I am working with has a lot of
variables (200 vars; 1500 cases; variable names
are for example: region, town, income, age,
jobtitle, etc. etc.) I would like to have a piece
o f code that examines the two versions of the
file and creates an output (or a new file) only
with the discrepancies: id case and variables
names where the discrepancies happen. As a
result, I can go to the the stack of paper
cuestionaries, check the "right" value, and correct the file.

Makes sense? TIA

Gonzalo Kmaid

CIFRA
Gonzalez, Raga y Asociados
707 06 77 (Tel y Fax)

www.cifra.com.uy
[hidden email]
Av. Brasil 2446 Ap 201, esq Obligado
Montevideo-Uruguay

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[Peck, Jon]

If you have SPSS 16.0.1, you can use the COMPDS extension command.  It can compare dictionaries and case values and create new variables in one of the files that describe case discrepancies.

Sample usage:
COMPDS DS1=first, DS2=second
/DATA ID=id DIFFCOUNT=differences
ROOTNAME=compare.

That says to compare the two open datasets named first and second.  Besides a small summary report, it compares the cases based on an id variable named ID (cases must be sorted by ID).  It creates a new variable named differences that has a count of how many variable values are different for each case, and it creates variables named compare_x, compare_y etc that show which values are different.

It handles cases that are only present in one of the datasets.  You can choose which variables to compare, but by default it compares all the variables in common.

This extension command can be downloaded from SPSS Developer Central, www.spss.com/devcentral.  It requires programmability to be installed.

Extension commands, new in SPSS 16, allow users to create SPSS syntax that is executed by Python or R code.

HTH,
Jon Peck

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Gonzalo Kmaid
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:29 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [SPSSX-L] checking two identical files for discrepancies

Hi,

I am trying to check a double entry process. I
have two separate "identical" files. I want to
check for discrepancies in an "automated" way.

Searching the web, I found two different
solutions: one from David Marso and one from
SPSS´s AnswerNet (archived in Raynald´s site,
thank´s Ray for the good work!), but both
solutions requires to declare variable names in advance.

Since the file I am working with has a lot of
variables (200 vars; 1500 cases; variable names
are for example: region, town, income, age,
jobtitle, etc. etc.) I would like to have a piece
o f code that examines the two versions of the
file and creates an output (or a new file) only
with the discrepancies: id case and variables
names where the discrepancies happen. As a
result, I can go to the the stack of paper
cuestionaries, check the "right" value, and correct the file.

Makes sense? TIA

Gonzalo Kmaid

CIFRA
Gonzalez, Raga y Asociados
707 06 77 (Tel y Fax)

www.cifra.com.uy
[hidden email]
Av. Brasil 2446 Ap 201, esq Obligado
Montevideo-Uruguay

=====================
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[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

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[hillel vardi]

Shalom

Here is a simple program to do what you need .
The only requirement is to add  all variable names to the syntax ,
   you can do that by coping it from the variable view and the add
double quotes around them.
The advantage of using the do repeat command is that the list of
variables don't have to be of the same type .
I was surprise that the print command except stand in variables but it did .

title      'double entry ' .
dataset close all .
DATA LIST / id n1 aa1 aa2 aa3 n2 n3(f2,f3,a1,a3,a1,f4,f2) .
BEGIN DATA
 1 01-APR-2006 1
 2 01-MAY-2006 1
 3 01-AUG-2005 3
 4 01-SEP-2005 3
 5 01-OCT-2005 3
 6 11-AUG-2005 3
17 01-SEP-2005 1
 8 01-FEB-2006 1
 9 01-MAR-2006 1
10 11-MAR-2006 3
13 01-APR-2006 3
END DATA.
dataset name data1.
add files file= * / rename=(n1 to n3=a1 to a6) .
sort cases by id .
DATA LIST / id n1 s1 s2 s3 n2 n3(f2,f3,a1,a3,a1,f4,f2) .
BEGIN DATA
 1 01-APR-2006 1
 2 01-M7Y-2206 1
 3 01-AUG-2005 3
 4 01-S3P-2005 3
15 01-OCT-2005 3
 6 11-AUG-2005 3
17 01-SEP-2005 1
 8 01-FEB-2026 1
 9 01-MAR=2006 1
10 11\MAR-2006 3
13 01-APR-2006 3
END DATA.
dataset name data2 .
add files file= * / rename=(n1 to n3=b1 to b6) .
sort cases by id .
match files  file=data1 / file= data2 / by id .
*** >>>>>>>>>   the vriable name shloud be add manualy <<<<  .
do repeat  aa=a1 to a6 /
           bb=b1 to b6 /
           var_names=" n1 " " s1 " " s2 " " s3 " " n2 " " n3 " .
do if      aa ne bb .
print      / id varname  aa bb .
end if .
end repeat .
execute .

Hillel Vardi
BGU

Gonzalo Kmaid wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am trying to check a double entry process. I
> have two separate "identical" files. I want to
> check for discrepancies in an "automated" way.
>
> Searching the web, I found two different
> solutions: one from David Marso and one from
> SPSS´s AnswerNet (archived in Raynald´s site,
> thank´s Ray for the good work!), but both
> solutions requires to declare variable names in advance.
>
> Since the file I am working with has a lot of
> variables (200 vars; 1500 cases; variable names
> are for example: region, town, income, age,
> jobtitle, etc. etc.) I would like to have a piece
> o f code that examines the two versions of the
> file and creates an output (or a new file) only
> with the discrepancies: id case and variables
> names where the discrepancies happen. As a
> result, I can go to the the stack of paper
> cuestionaries, check the "right" value, and correct the file.
>
> Makes sense? TIA
>
> Gonzalo Kmaid
>
> CIFRA
> Gonzalez, Raga y Asociados
> 707 06 77 (Tel y Fax)
>
> www.cifra.com.uy
> [hidden email]
> Av. Brasil 2446 Ap 201, esq Obligado
> Montevideo-Uruguay
>
> =====================
> 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
>

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