SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

530 EXPORT
Basic Specification
The basic specification is the OUTFILE subcommand with a file specification. All variables
from the working data file are written to the portable file, with variable names, variable and
value labels, missing-value flags, and print and write formats.
Subcommand Order
Subcommands can be named in any order.
Operations
Example
• Portable files are written with 80-character record lengths.
• Portable files may contain some unprintable characters.
• The working data file is still available for transformations and procedures after the
portable file is created.
• The system variables $CASENUM and $DATE are assigned when the file is read by IMPORT.
• If the WEIGHT command is used before EXPORT, the weighting variable is included in the
portable file.
• Variable names that exceed eight bytes are converted to unique eight byte names. For
example, mylongrootname1, mylongrootname2, and mylongrootname3 would be converted
to mylongro, mylong_2, and mylong_3 respectively.
EXPORT OUTFILE=NEWDATA /RENAME=(V1 TO V3=ID,SEX,AGE) /MAP.
• The portable file is written to NEWDATA.
• The variables V1, V2, and V3 are renamed ID, SEX, and AGE in the portable file. Their
names remain V1, V2, and V3 in the working file. None of the other variables written to
the portable file are renamed.
• MAP requests a display of the variables in the portable file.
Methods of Transporting Portable Files
Portable files can be transported on magnetic tape or by a communications program.
Magnetic Tape
Before transporting files on a magnetic tape, make sure the receiving computer can read the
tape being sent. The following tape specifications must be known before you write the
portable file on the tape:
• Number of tracks—either 7 or 9.