SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

12 Universals
Data Files
Figure 2 Records from a journal file
DATA LIST /ID 1-3 SEX 4 (A) AGE 5-6 OPINION1 TO OPINION5 7-11.
BEGIN DATA
001F2621221
002M5611122
003F3422212
004F45112L2
>Warning # 1102
>An invalid numeric field has been found. The result has been set to the
>system-missing value.
END DATA.
LIST.
• The warning message, marked by the > symbol, tells you that an invalid numeric field has
been found. Checking the last data line, you will notice that column 10 is L, which is probably
a typographic error. You can correct the typo (for example, by changing the L to 1),
delete the warning message, and submit the file again.
SPSS is capable of reading and writing a wide variety of data file formats, including raw data
files created by a data entry device or a text editor, formatted data files produced by a data
management program, data files generated by other software packages, and SPSS-format
data files.
Raw Data File
Raw data files contain only data, either generated by a programming language, such as
COBOL, FORTRAN, and Assembler, or entered with a data entry device or a text editor.
SPSS can read raw data arranged in almost any format, including raw matrix materials and
nonprintable codes. User-entered data can be embedded within a command file as inline
data or saved on tape or disk as an external file. Nonprintable machine codes are usually
stored in an external file.
Raw data must be defined before they can be used by procedures. Data definition
commands such as DATA LIST, KEYED DATA LIST, and MATRIX DATA can be used to read in
raw data. Appropriate input formats must be specified on these commands (see “Variable
Formats” on p. 25). If for some reason you need to write a raw data file, use the WRITE
command or specify WRITE on a procedure with that subcommand. On most operating
systems, the default extension of a raw data file produced by SPSS is .DAT.
Files from Other Software Applications
You can read files from a variety of other software applications, including dBASE, Lotus,
SYLK, and Excel. You can also read simple tab-delimited spreadsheet files. Use GET
TRANSLATE with different TYPE specifications to read files from common spreadsheet
and database programs. To produce data files for these programs, use SAVE TRANSLATE.
Consult the SPSS Base User’s Guide for your version of SPSS for the types of files (if
any) that your system can read and write.