dataset experiments (was: Re: DATASET behaviour)

[Ben Pfaff]

I spent some time today studying some of the details of the SPSS
"DATASET" commands.  I think that perhaps I misunderstood exactly how
they work.  I'm suggesting two experiments to help clarify my
understanding.


Experiment #1
-------------

Start up SPSS.  Then, before you define any variables or open any data
files, Run a DATASET NAME command, like this:

    DATASET NAME myfile.

Does SPSS accept this or give an error and, if it gives an error, what
is it?


Experiment #2
-------------

Start up SPSS.  Then, before you do anything else, run a syntax file
like this:

    GET 'file1.sav'.
    DATASET NAME file1.
    DATASET DISPLAY.
    GET 'file2.sav'.
    DATASET DISPLAY.

Any file1.sav and file2.sav will do; please replace these names with
names of different .sav files on your own system.

Thanks,

Ben.

On Tue, Feb 09, 2016 at 08:24:30AM +0100, address@hidden wrote:
> Thanks, Ben.
> I guess the difference lies in the interpretation of the asterisk: replace 
> current file only if it is unnamed, otherwise create a new unnamed file.
> Regards
> frans
> 
> ----- Messaggio originale -----
> Da: "Ben Pfaff" <address@hidden>
> A: "Frans Houweling" <address@hidden>
> Cc: address@hidden
> Inviato: Martedì, 9 febbraio 2016 5:26:46
> Oggetto: Re: DATASET behaviour
> 
> On Sat, Jan 30, 2016 at 07:46:15PM +0100, Frans Houweling wrote:
> >  I would like to signal a difference with respect to SPSS. The following
> > script works in SPSS but not in PSPP:
> > 
> > DATA LIST LIST /area (F1.0) price (F12.0).
> > BEGIN DATA
> > 4    1805
> > 1    1945
> > 4    1412
> > END DATA.
> > DATASET COPY WORK_A.
> > DATASET ACTIVATE WORK_A.
> > AGGREGATE OUTFILE = * /BREAK = area /price = MEAN(price).
> > DATASET NAME OTHER_1.
> > DATASET DISPLAY.
> > DATASET ACTIVATE WORK_A.
> > 
> > 
> > In SPSS:
> > - after the DATASET COPY command I see 2 files: *Untitled[] (active) and
> > *Untitled[WORK_A]
> > - after next command (DATASET ACTIVATE) I see *Untitled[WORK_A] (active)
> > - after AGGREGATE I see *Untitled[WORK_A] and *Untitled[] (active)
> > - after DATASET NAME I see *Untitled[WORK_A] and *Untitled[OTHER_1] (active)
> > while PSPP has only 1 file left at this point.
> > I tried PSPPIRE to follow the steps, but it I guess it doesn't honor the
> > DATASET COPY command.
> 
> I want to let you know that I've confirmed the bug and plan to fix it.
> DATASET COPY should work, and it has some tests in the testsuite, so I'm
> curious about what's wrong.