SPSS For Dummies Cheat Sheet

SPSS Syntax language variable definitions

In Syntax, you can define several different characteristics for each of your variables. Here is the full collection of possibilities among SPSS Syntax language variables:

• Name: Short form of the variable name

• Type: Numeric, comma, dot, scientific notation, date, dollar, custom currency, or string

• Width: Maximum number of characters used to display the data

• Decimals: Number of digits to the right of the decimal point

• Label: Long form of the variable name

• Values: Names assigned to specific values

• Missing: Value, or values, to represent missing values

• Columns: Number of spaces into which the value is displayed

• Align: Right, left, or center

• Measure: Scale, ordinal, or nominal

• Role: Input, target, both, none, partition, or split

SPSS Syntax language statements

A single Syntax language instruction can be very simple, or it can be complex enough to serve as an entire program. A single instruction consists of a command followed by arguments to modify or expand the actions of the command, as follows:

command [/option=value]terminator

command: Every statement begins with a command.

option: Each command has a specific set of options.

value: The value, or values, for the option.

terminator: Every statement ends with a period as a terminator.

SPSS Syntax language predefined variables

Most of the values used in Syntax are from the variables in the data set you currently have loaded and displayed in SPSS. You simply use your variable names in your program, and SPSS knows where to go and get the values for it.

Some other variables are already defined, and you can use them anywhere in a program. Predefined variables, which are called system variables, all begin with a dollar sign ($) and already contain values.

The system variables are listed in the table below:

SPSS Syntax language comments

You can insert descriptive text, called a comment, into your program. This text doesn’t do anything except help make things clear when you read (or somebody else reads) your code. You start a comment the same way you start any other command: on its own line by using the keyword COMMENT or an asterisk or an asterisk-slash. The comment is terminated by a period. For example:

COMMENT This is a comment and will not be executed.
* This is a comment and will continue to be
  a comment until the terminating period.
/* This is a comment and will continue to be
  a comment until the terminating asterisk-slash */

SPSS Syntax language relational operators

Syntax offers conditional statements that are executed only if conditions are right. Usually those conditions are determined by evaluating the contents of a variable with a logical or relational operator. The following table lists the relational operators you can use to compare numbers.

SPSS Syntax language logical operators

Syntax offers conditional statements that are executed only if conditions are right. Usually those conditions are determined by evaluating the contents of a variable with a logical or relational operator. The following table lists the logical operators you can use for longer, complex comparisons.