Date:         Wed, 19 Jun 2002 17:29:29 -0300
Reply-To:     hmaletta@fibertel.com.ar
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Hector Maletta <hmaletta@fibertel.com.ar>
Subject:      Re: Problem applying data dictionary to new data set
Comments: To: "George R. Gamble" <ggamble@med.unc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

George:
1. I cannot fathom why APPLY DICTIONARY does not work if variables with
the same names are present in both data files. It should.

2. Additional variables will not be created through APPLY DICTIONARY,
nor its values computed from other variables. If you create the
variables first in the second file (Community) by means of COMPUTE and
similar commands, and those variables also exist in the other file
(Academic), the labels and formats of Academic additional variables will
be applied to those Community additional variables. More generally, do
not expect SPSS to behave like a spreadsheet: SPSS data files contain
values, not formulas. Formulas for new variables are used once, at the
time of computing their values. Adding new cases will require the
additional variables to be computed again, otherwise the new cases will
have system-missing values in the additional variables.

Hector Maletta
Universidad del Salvador
Buenos Aires, Argentina


"George R. Gamble" wrote:
>
> I have 2 SPSS data sets (Academic and Community), with the same
> variables and variable names, and would like to apply the data
> dictionary from the first data set to the second one. With Community
> open, I apply data dictionary from Academic and nothing happens. And
> Help is no help! What is the proper procedure for applying the data
> dictionary from one data set to another?  Also, a secondary question:
> If the data dictionary includes computed variables (that were created in
> the Academic data set) will the values for those variables also be
> created in the Community data set if those variable names are present?
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions to resolve these problems.
>
> --
> George R. Gamble, Ph.D.
> Research Associate
> Department of Family Medicine
> University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
> CB #7595, Manning Drive
> Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7595
> Telephone 919.843.9751
> Fax 919.966.6125