Re: SPSS file record layout type 2 vs type 3

[Ben Pfaff]

Pascal Heus <address@hidden> writes:

> Does anyone now the exact meaning of the record layout type byte
> present in the SPSS .sav file header? This is byte #65 that follows
> the $FL2 signature and the 60-byte information string. According to
> the documentation I found and based on source codes, the only allowed
> values are 2=SPSS file and 3=portable file. Problem is that I have
> recently received a few files produced I think with SPSS 12 or 13 that
> have a layout code = 3 (not sure why) but look exactly like a record
> layout 2 file. I'm trying to figure out where this difference comes

What source have you found that says 3 = portable file?  I do not
recall reading that anywhere.

I have a fairly extensive library of .sav files that I have found
around the net.  A few of them have record layout 3; most of them
have record layout 2.  There does not seem to be any difference
in the format of the rest of the file based on the record layout
byte.

PSPP currently just uses the presence of a value 2 or 3 in this
field to detect whether the file is little-endian or big-endian
and otherwise ignores it.
-- 
"...In the UNIX world, people tend to interpret `non-technical user'
 as meaning someone who's only ever written one device driver."
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