write outfile and syntax declare

[Mumdzhiev]

Hi all,

My question is about using the “write outfile” command in a manner like “dataset declare” and managing multiple sps syntaxes as its possible for “dataset declare” and sav files:


 DATASET DECLARE corrmatrix.
REGRESSION
/DEPENDENT=var1
/METHOD=ENTER var2 to var10
/OUTFILE=CORB(corrmatrix).
DATASET ACTIVATE corrmatrix.

Actually I execute “write outfile” for syntax files and insert them in a second step, then use erase commands if necessary. Is there another or smarter way to do such jobs, fe something like this
“sps file declare “
“Sps file activate + run”

Thanks for comments
Milko

[Andy W]

It sounds to me like “Sps file activate + run” is the same as INSERT FILE (and declaring a sps file makes no sense off-hand). To get more useful advice for your workflow you might need to spill the beans on alot more of what you are trying to do - it may be you don't need to write an outfile of syntax and insert it later on anyway.

[David Marso]

What exactly are you attempting to achieve?
In a nutshell there is NO such thing as 'syntax declare'.
Can't really see the point!
" Is there another or smarter way to do such jobs".
I have a suspicion that indeed there is, but you haven't provided any sketch of What you are really trying to do so I will keep my mouth shut!

Mumdzhiev wrote

Hi all,

My question is about using the “write outfile” command in a manner like “dataset declare” and managing multiple sps syntaxes as its possible for “dataset declare” and sav files:


 DATASET DECLARE corrmatrix.
REGRESSION
/DEPENDENT=var1
/METHOD=ENTER var2 to var10
/OUTFILE=CORB(corrmatrix).
DATASET ACTIVATE corrmatrix.

Actually I execute “write outfile” for syntax files and insert them in a second step, then use erase commands if necessary. Is there another or smarter way to do such jobs, fe something like this
“sps file declare “
“Sps file activate + run”

Thanks for comments
Milko

[Richard Ristow]

At 06:09 AM 1/30/2014, Mumdzhiev wrote:

>My question is about using the "write outfile" command in a manner
>like "dataset declare" and managing multiple sps syntaxes as its
>possible for "dataset declare" and sav files:
>...
>I execute "write outfile" for syntax files and insert them in a
>second step, then use erase commands if necessary. Is there another
>or smarter way to do such jobs, something like this
>"sps file declare "
>"Sps file activate + run"

If I understand you, you're asking if a syntax window, or the like,
could be treated something like a dataset: given a name, written to
by SPSS programs, and used like a file on INSERT; and then be
discarded, either by a command within SPSS or when SPSS closes.

Unfortunately, no. Syntax windows aren't part of the environment of
the SPSS processor, the way datasets are; they exist (I believe) only
in the SPSS front-end that runs the menus.

Interesting. Now, I believe the SPSS Python environment *does* have
access to the syntax windows. I'm running too old a version to
investigate this, but I wonder if three or so extension commands
could be written to,

A. Create a syntax window from a running SPSS program;
B. Act analogously to WRITE OUTFILE: within a transformation program,
write generated text to a syntax window, instead of to a file;
C. Analogously to INSERT, incorporate the contents of a syntax window
into a running program.

As a Python mostly-outsider, I'd guess that A. could be done, but if
B. and C. were to work, the opened window would have to also be given
a name by which it could be referred to. Given a way of naming a
syntax window to Python, it should be fairly direct to read that
window's contents and incorporate it (probably via SPSS.SUBMIT) into
a running SPSS program (step C). And I've no idea whether B. would be
practicable at all.

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[Jon K Peck]

A, B, and C could all be easily done with Python programs or incorporated into extension commands, but why?


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




From:        Richard Ristow <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email],
Date:        01/30/2014 03:20 PM
Subject:        Re: [SPSSX-L] write outfile and syntax declare
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

At 06:09 AM 1/30/2014, Mumdzhiev wrote:

>My question is about using the "write outfile" command in a manner
>like "dataset declare" and managing multiple sps syntaxes as its
>possible for "dataset declare" and sav files:
>...
>I execute "write outfile" for syntax files and insert them in a
>second step, then use erase commands if necessary. Is there another
>or smarter way to do such jobs, something like this
>"sps file declare "
>"Sps file activate + run"

If I understand you, you're asking if a syntax window, or the like,
could be treated something like a dataset: given a name, written to
by SPSS programs, and used like a file on INSERT; and then be
discarded, either by a command within SPSS or when SPSS closes.

Unfortunately, no. Syntax windows aren't part of the environment of
the SPSS processor, the way datasets are; they exist (I believe) only
in the SPSS front-end that runs the menus.

Interesting. Now, I believe the SPSS Python environment *does* have
access to the syntax windows. I'm running too old a version to
investigate this, but I wonder if three or so extension commands
could be written to,

A. Create a syntax window from a running SPSS program;
B. Act analogously to WRITE OUTFILE: within a transformation program,
write generated text to a syntax window, instead of to a file;
C. Analogously to INSERT, incorporate the contents of a syntax window
into a running program.

As a Python mostly-outsider, I'd guess that A. could be done, but if
B. and C. were to work, the opened window would have to also be given
a name by which it could be referred to. Given a way of naming a
syntax window to Python, it should be fairly direct to read that
window's contents and incorporate it (probably via SPSS.SUBMIT) into
a running SPSS program (step C). And I've no idea whether B. would be
practicable at all.

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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
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[Mumdzhiev]

Thanks for comments.