saving SPSS files to existing folders

[PerryGrossman]

I have a problem of SPSS saving files in a folder where another recently opened file is stored. Is there anyway to fix that setting? I know that I can set a default folder in the options, but but it just picks one folder. I want it to work like MS office, where each file defaults to save in the folder where it was last saved. It gets very difficult to find files again and maintain version control when they get resaved in different folders. Perry

[Bruce Weaver]

Are you saving via syntax or manually?  For saving via syntax, you could use FILE HANDLE.  Here are examples from the Help file:

  FILE HANDLE thisMonthFile /NAME='/sales/data/july.sav'.
  FILE HANDLE dataDirectory /NAME='/sales/data'.
  GET FILE 'thisMonthFile'.
  GET FILE 'dataDirectory/july.sav'.

You could add drive and path info, like this:

  FILE HANDLE thisMonthFile /NAME='C:/Folder1/sales/data/july.sav'.
  FILE HANDLE dataDirectory /NAME='C:/Folder2/sales/data'.

HTH.

p.s. - I was going to go old school and suggest using macros to define folders* rather than FILE HANDLE, but I didn't want Jon's blood pressure to go too high.  ;-)

* E.g., http://www.spsstools.net/Macros/Utilities/DefinePathByMacro.txt

PerryGrossman wrote

I have a problem of SPSS saving files in a folder where another recently opened file is stored. Is there anyway to fix that setting?

I know that I can set a default folder in the options, but  but it just picks one folder. I want it to work like MS office, where each file defaults to save in the folder where it was last saved.

It gets very difficult to find files again and maintain version control when they get resaved in different folders.


Perry

[Jon K Peck]

Thanks, Bruce.

File handles are a perfect construct for this type of usage.  If, though, this query is for files saved via the user interface, then, of course, the File>Save menu item will save the file in its original location if there is one for data, syntax, and output.

And note that we do have file handle support in the Python apis :-)  There is an spss.GetFileHandles api, and there is a helpful class for managing these, spssaux.FileHandles.

Jon Peck
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
new phone: [phone]




From:        Bruce Weaver <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        08/11/2011 10:15 AM
Subject:        Re: [SPSSX-L] saving SPSS files to existing folders
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Are you saving via syntax or manually?  For saving via syntax, you could use
FILE HANDLE.  Here are examples from the Help file:

 FILE HANDLE thisMonthFile /NAME='/sales/data/july.sav'.
 FILE HANDLE dataDirectory /NAME='/sales/data'.
 GET FILE 'thisMonthFile'.
 GET FILE 'dataDirectory/july.sav'.

You could add drive and path info, like this:

 FILE HANDLE thisMonthFile /NAME='C:/Folder1/sales/data/july.sav'.
 FILE HANDLE dataDirectory /NAME='C:/Folder2/sales/data'.

HTH.

p.s. - I was going to go old school and suggest using macros to define
folders* rather than FILE HANDLE, but I didn't want Jon's blood pressure to
go too high.  ;-)

* E.g., http://www.spsstools.net/Macros/Utilities/DefinePathByMacro.txt



PerryGrossman wrote:
>
> I have a problem of SPSS saving files in a folder where another recently
> opened file is stored. Is there anyway to fix that setting?
>
> I know that I can set a default folder in the options, but  but it just
> picks one folder. I want it to work like MS office, where each file
> defaults to save in the folder where it was last saved.
>
> It gets very difficult to find files again and maintain version control
> when they get resaved in different folders.
>
>
> Perry
>


-----
--
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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