I haven't been following this message series very closely but I think another solution for the quote problem is in word to go into tool>>customize, I think it is, and change the setting from '"smart" quotes' to 'straight quotes'.

Gene Maguin

-----Original Message----- From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Bruce Weaver Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 10:07 AM To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Error reading raw data file from drive e:

Alternatively, I believe that if you create your syntax in a syntax window (or a text editor), and then copy & paste into the Word document, you will also end up having the proper quotes. I'm sure that's how I did it when I wrote some tutorials in Word, and I did not have the problem John is describing.

Bruce Weaver wrote: > > John, have you considered trying to fix the problem in your Word document > rather than in SPSS? You could create a short-cut key combination (in > Word) to insert special character 0027, which is what you need in place of > the "curly quotes". > > Cheers, > Bruce > > > > John F Hall-2 wrote: >> >> Neat layout, but that would only work on my PC (where the sample filename >> came from). Don't forget, this is the very first bit of SPSS syntax thay >> are going to write and in many cases the very first syntax pane they have >> ever opened, quite possibly the very first time they have opened SPSS >> (oops! PASW). >> >> 'e:class.dat' works, but only if you type the primes direct in syntax. >> If you copy and paste from Word the primes get turned into curly quotes >> and cause a error. The actual data are on the site: one copy in *.dat >> form (which Windows thinks is a movie!) and another in *.txt format >> (Courier) which displays immediately in fixed width format so users can >> see the column alignment. >> >> http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/9/8/2998485/class.txt >> >> Just tried: >> data list >> fil >> 'http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/9/8/2998485/class.txt' >> >> and got: >> >> Error # 34 in column 6. Text: >> http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/9/8/2998485/class.t >> >> PASW Statistics cannot access a file with the given file specification. >> The >> >> file specification is either syntactically invalid, specifies an invalid >> >> drive, specifies a protected directory, specifies a protected file, or >> >> specifies a non-sharable file. >> >> Execution of this command stops. >> >> >> >> Wouldn't it be nice if SPSS could do that? >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Richard Ristow >> To: John F Hall ; SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU >> Cc: Jon K Peck >> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 1:33 AM >> Subject: Re: Error reading raw data file from drive e: >> >> >> At 10:42 AM 3/27/2010, John F Hall wrote: >> >> >> It was bad enough trying to drag the anti-empiricists into the >> computer lab in the first place. Do you seriously think they'd be >> interested in (or that I'd want to explain)a command: >> file handle myclassdata /name ='C:\Documents and >> Settings\Owner\Desktop\Survey Analysis Workshop\Block >> 1\myclass\class.dat' >> >> This won't solve the whole problem; but, good practice writing readable >> code can make that statement much less daunting, by emphasizing its >> logical pieces -- something like (untested), >> >> file handle myclassdata >> /name ='C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop' + >> '\Survey Analysis Workshop\Block 1\myclass\' + >> 'class.dat' >> >> > >

----- -- Bruce Weaver bweaver@lakeheadu.ca http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/ "When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly. To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above. -- View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Error-reading-raw-data-file-from-drive-e%3A-tp28045952 p28083043.html Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (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 INFO REFCARD

===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (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 INFO REFCARD