Thank you David - this is exactly what I need. This will save me switching between Excel and SPSS which I'm always a bit nervous about. A great solution - thanks.

On 2011/04/09 02:10 PM, coxspss@cox.net wrote: > Mark, > > It sounds like you want to replace within the sav data file the > numeric with string values based on your value labels. We often have > to do a similar process when we upload data tables to our oracle > producttion systems, the sql folks need the descriptor and not the > value. Try the following which I learned from this listserv: > > string varx (a1). > compute varx =valuelabel(vary). > > > So if you have a column of 1=male and 2=female called sex then it > would be (the column must have value labels assigned): > > string sex_desc(a6). > compute sex_desc=valuelabel(sex). > > This will leave leave both your numeric and your string form in the > data file. If you wish to remove the numeric then you can use DELETE > VARIABLE or MATCH FILES file=* /drop=sex. > > David, > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 9, 2011 at 6:43 AM, Mark Webb wrote: > > Hi Albert-Jan > > Just looked at your suggestion and it's not exactly what I'm > looking for. > > The problem is that Save Translate wants to translate from the > normal .sav to some other format. > > I want to remain in .sav format. > > > > Basically what I'm trying to do is to make numeric variables into > strings so that I can concat them and was thinking that the strings > are basically the value labels. > > > > So I will have a variable like sex which is numeric with value > labels and I want to make a variable in the same SPSS file called say > sexstring which will be a string representing the value label - Male > or Female. > > > > Is this clearer? > > > > [BTW - Save Translate has a /cell = labels options according to > my syntax reference.] > > Mark Webb > > Line +27 (21) 786 4379 > Cell +27 (72) 199 1000 > Fax to email +27 (86) 5513075 > Skype webbmark > Email targetlinkmark@gmail.com <mailto:targetlinkmark@gmail.com> > > > On 2011/04/09 11:47 AM, Albert-Jan Roskam wrote: > > > Yes, you can do that by adding VALUES=LABELS to the SAVE > TRANSLATE command. Check out the syntax reference manual for > details. > > > > > Cheers!! > > Albert-Jan > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, > education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water > system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > > > > > From: > Mark Webb <targetlinkmark@gmail.com> > <mailto:targetlinkmark@gmail.com> > > To: > SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > <mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> > > Sent: > Sat, April 9, 2011 11:13:25 AM > > Subject: > [SPSSX-L] Saving numeric data with value labels as > strings. > > > > Hi all > > I have numeric data with value labels [e.g. 1=Male > 2=Female] > > It's possible to save this to Excel and request that > the value label is > > saved rather than the numeric value. > > If one wants the string value label in the SPSS file it > can read in from > > Excel once the variable names have been changed. > > Is there a way of saving the value label string of > numeric variables > > directly into new variables with SPSS? i.e. skip Excel > > > > Regards > > > > -- > > Mark Webb > > > > Line +27 (21) 786 4379 > > Cell +27 (72) 199 1000 > > Fax to email +27 (86) 5513075 > > Skype webbmark > > Email targetlinkmark@gmail.com > <mailto:targetlinkmark@gmail.com> > > > > ===================== > > To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to > > LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > <mailto: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 >

===================== 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