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Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 06:55:35 -0500
Reply-To: "Oliver, Richard" <roliver@SPSS.COM>
Sender: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: "Oliver, Richard" <roliver@SPSS.COM>
Subject: Re: Using Execute
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
The default behavior is for the GUI to generate an Execute statement after transformation commands generated from dialogs (e.g. the Compute dialog). This is the case for any command generated from the dialogs that requires some subsequent command to read the data (which is why it also happens with Match Files and Add Files). AFAIK, Filter doesn't require a subsequent command to read the data, but the same dialog that generates Filter syntax can also generate Select If syntax.
There are reasons this was deemed to be the best default for the GUI, but it may not be ideal for those attempting to learn syntax by pasting dialog selections (although all those Executes will tell you which commands require some other command to read the data).
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From: SPSSX(r) Discussion on behalf of Lisa Stickney
Sent: Wed 7/12/2006 9:49 PM
To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Using Execute
Hi Richard,
>
> Good ever-lovin' grief! Thank you, Lisa! I didn't even know that SPSS
> inserted EXECUTEs following pasted syntax commands. (See below.)
>
> If SPSS puts EXECUTEs after every (pasted) transformation command, of
> COURSE users will think they're necessary.
>
> Other readers: Did this happen to you, too? It's precisely the right
> way to form precisely the wrong habit.
>
I don't think it does it with every transformation command, but it
definitely does it with COMPUTE, RECODE & COUNT. Plus it does it with some
of the data commands -- FILTER, MATCH FILES, & ADD FILES that I know of.
> Beadle, ViAnn wrote at 12:53 PM 7/12/2006,
>
>>Although its not really obvious, you can turn off the EXECUTE command
>>[that's pasted after pasted transformation commands] in Edit>Options
>>under Transformation and Merge Operations.
>
> To be precise (since I had to look for it myself), it's
>
> Edit>Options>Data; then, under Transformation and Merge Operations,
> + To get the EXECUTE pasted, select "Calculate values immediately";
> + To omit it, select "Calculate values before used".
> (Which is the default?)
>
Thanks to both ViAnn & Richard for pointing this out. I have happily
changed my copy of SPSS.
As for the default, I believe it's "Calculate values immediately." The IT
people have installed versions 11.5, 12, 13 & now 14 on my laptop, and
they've all been set this way. So, unless it's just my installation or
they're changing this upon installation (I doubt it), it's probably the
default.
One other comment I have about this is option is that I think it would have
little meaning to a newbie who's trying to learn SPSS sytax. Unless you're
very familiar with SPSS, it's not clear how this relates to EXECUTE or why
it might be important.
Best,
Lisa
Lisa T. Stickney
Ph.D. Candidate
The Fox School of Business
and Management
Temple University
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