syntax

[Jane Harper-2]

What's the best way to learn SPSS syntax, short of taking a formal class?

Thanks in advance.

Jane Harper
--
Jane Harper, PhD(c), RN, APN
Trauma Nurse Practitioner, Rockford, IL

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[Richard Ristow]

At 07:58 PM 3/29/2009, Jane Harper wrote:

What's the best way to learn SPSS syntax, short of taking a formal class?

Lots of ways.

First, DON'T start with the SPSS Command Syntax Reference, especially the main section on individual commands. It's indispensable for checking details of commands when you know what you're looking for, but nigh useless when you're looking for some command to get some effect you want.

However, the Universals section of the Command Syntax Reference isn't bad as a guide to the transformation language. If you use it, post back on how you liked it; I'd like to hear a reaction about how useful it is for learning.

Second, here's a well-known, excellent book, though it may not be for beginners: Levesque, Raynald, SPSS® Programming and Data Management/ A Guide for SPSS® and SAS® Users. SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL

2nd edition: 2005
3rd edition (co-author, SPSS, Inc.): 2006
4th edition (co-author, SPSS, Inc.): 2007

All editions are circulated free as .PDF files. Last I looked, the 3rd and 4th editions were available on the SPSS, Inc. Web site, as

http://www.spss.com/spss/SPSS_programming_data_mgmt.pdf (3rd edition)
http://www.spss.com/spss/SPSSdatamgmt_4e.pdf (4th edition).


Finally, very simple and effective:

It sounds like you're already familiar with using SPSS from the menus. So, when you run SPSS, keep a syntax window open. When you finish creating a command from the menus, click "Paste" instead of "OK", and look at the syntax pasted in your syntax file. Here, the Command Syntax Reference may help you understand what the parts of the command mean, and what they do.

-Best of luck,
 Richard
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[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi Jane!

* You can record the auto-generated Spss syntax in the output:
edit --> options --> tab 'general' --> "record syntax in journal"

* You can browse through the syntax guide
help-->syntax guide --> base

* You can watch the posts on this list, or view somebody else's syntaxes.

* You can visit www.spsstools.net

* You can download the free Spss Programming and Data Management book (R. Levesque and SPSS, Inc).

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan

--- On Mon, 3/30/09, Jane Harper <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Jane Harper <[hidden email]>
> Subject: syntax
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: Monday, March 30, 2009, 1:58 AM
> What's the best way to learn SPSS
> syntax, short of taking a formal class?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Jane Harper
> --
> Jane Harper, PhD(c), RN, APN
> Trauma Nurse Practitioner, Rockford, IL
>
> =====================
> 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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[Clive Downs]

Jane,

As far as books are concerned, the Levesque book is very useful but does
also include quite a bit on Python.

For a good introduction to SPSS syntax I would suggest:

"An Intermediate Guide to SPSS Programming: Using Syntax for Data
Management" (paperback) by Sarah Boslaugh,published by Sage.

This covers most of the main concepts - loops, conditionals, in-line data,
date formats, vectors, scratch variables, etc in a very simple way. If you
work thru the examples, you should be able to learn syntax quite quickly.

Clive.

>What's the best way to learn SPSS syntax, short of taking a formal class?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Jane Harper
>
>Jane Harper, PhD(c), RN, APN
>Trauma Nurse Practitioner, Rockford, IL

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
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