compatibility sav format SPSS 20 & 15

[news]

Hi,

can you read a SPSS system file produced with SPSS 20 under SPSS 15 ? I
think I read that somewhere in the product evolution SPSS produced a gap
in the backward compatibility. If so how can I skirt the obstacle and
read the SPSS20 sav file in SP115 ?

TIA

F. Thomas

=====================
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[Jon K Peck]

sav files are backwards compatible.  If there are new features introduced in the format, they are hidden from old versions that would not be able to handle them.  For example, if you have a string variable longer than 255 bytes up to 32767 is now allowed), very old versions can't handle them, but they see them as a sequence of 255-byte strings.  If you have a Unicode sav file that contains accented characters or nonwestern character sets, old versions - prior to V16 - can read them but will not be able to display the text correctly.

The compatibility break that you are probably thinking of was the new spv Viewer format that replaced the spo format in V16.  However, the free SmartReader can be used to read spv files for those who do not have any version of Statistics or have only a version prior to 16.

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




From:        ftr <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        12/17/2011 04:42 AM
Subject:        [SPSSX-L] compatibility sav format SPSS 20 & 15
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Hi,

can you read a SPSS system file produced with SPSS 20 under SPSS 15 ? I
think I read that somewhere in the product evolution SPSS produced a gap
in the backward compatibility. If so how can I skirt the obstacle and
read the SPSS20 sav file in SP115 ?

TIA

F. Thomas

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

[news]

Jon,

Thank you for your reassuring answer, even on a Saturday.

Cheers,
F. Thomas


On 17/12/2011 15:01, Jon K Peck wrote:

> sav files are backwards compatible. If there are new features introduced
> in the format, they are hidden from old versions that would not be able
> to handle them. For example, if you have a string variable longer than
> 255 bytes up to 32767 is now allowed), very old versions can't handle
> them, but they see them as a sequence of 255-byte strings. If you have a
> Unicode sav file that contains accented characters or nonwestern
> character sets, old versions - prior to V16 - can read them but will not
> be able to display the text correctly.
>
> The compatibility break that you are probably thinking of was the new
> spv Viewer format that replaced the spo format in V16. However, the free
> SmartReader can be used to read spv files for those who do not have any
> version of Statistics or have only a version prior to 16.
>
> Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
> Senior Software Engineer, IBM
> [hidden email]
> new phone: [phone]
>
>
>
>
> From: ftr <[hidden email]>
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: 12/17/2011 04:42 AM
> Subject: [SPSSX-L] compatibility sav format SPSS 20 & 15
> Sent by: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
> can you read a SPSS system file produced with SPSS 20 under SPSS 15 ? I
> think I read that somewhere in the product evolution SPSS produced a gap
> in the backward compatibility. If so how can I skirt the obstacle and
> read the SPSS20 sav file in SP115 ?
>
> TIA
>
> F. Thomas
>
> =====================
> 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