Question

SPSS 16/17, how to command line import of Excel XLS file?

Asked by: JReam

500 Points:

This command line worked fine in SPSS version 15 and prior, aok for years:
  C:>   SPSSWin.exe  myfile.xls

    This would neatly open SPSS in the grid-like Data editor screen, with data view and variable view tabs all set and ready with the rows & cols from the XLS.  End-user very happy.  


NOW, the newer SPSS versions, the command line does work at:
  Statistics.exe  myfile.xls  (ver 17)           SPSS.exe  myfile.xls  (ver 16)


I've tried many iterations of command line.  Nothing.  Loads SPSS empty Data Editor.  I also tried newer Excel 2007 .XLSX files.

Scripting:  I tried writing a simple SPS script, but I can't get it to autoexecute, always leaves user sitting on the script editor screen.  Statistics.exe MyScript.sps.  In previous SPSS 15 there was a program RunSyntx.exe which would start SPSS & autoexecute SPS.   If I can get this batch to automatically execute,  that would be good enough solution, unless of course the simplier command line solution exists.

Bottom Line:
All I'm trying to do is get the data neatly placed into the Data editor for the end user.    



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Asked On
2008-12-23 at 08:13:37ID24005971
Tags

SPSS Excel XLS Command Line Import

Topics

SPSS

,

Probability & Statistics

,

Math & Science

Participating Experts
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500
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Answers

 

by: richdiesalPosted on 2008-12-23 at 10:58:07ID: 23235669

For some reason, as of SPSS 16, support for launching anything other than a native SPSS file from the command line became impossible. I have no idea why they would do this - but they did.  You can launch SPS, SAV, and SPV files from the command line just fine, but nothing else.

To get around this, I have tried launching SPS files from the command line.  This documentation was a starting point:

-------------------------------------

Problem Subject:  Where is runsyntx.exe in SPSS 16 and SPSS Statistics 17?

Problem Description:  I'm running SPSS 16.0 for Windows (or SPSS Statistics 17). In past versions, the SPSS install included an executable, runsyntx.exe, which would allow me to run syntax files from a command line or batch file. It used to reside in the main SPSS installation directory, but I cannot find this executable anymore. Was it removed or replaced?

Resolution Subject: Please run your syntax from a Production Mode job or via command line using spss.exe.

Resolution Description:
The primary purpose of runsyntx.exe was to be able to right-click on a syntax file in Windows explorer and to have it launch SPSS and run it. While some users may have decided to use it as a part of production jobs, it was not the intended use for runsyntx.exe. In SPSS 16, users can use Production Mode or simply specify a syntax file on the command line.

Available Switches and Options for running spss.exe from a command line:
spss [-server <inet:hostname:port>] [-user <name>] [-password <password>]
[-switchserver]
[-singleseat]
[-nologo]
[-production [silent|prompt]]
[-symbol <values>]
[<filename>] ...
[-help|-h]

Since SPSS Statistics 17, spss.exe was renamed to statistics.exe but you can still use the same command parameters as described above.

-----------------

But this creates the problem that you describe - the SPS file simply appears without running.  To get around that, I investigated the MAN page in the code snippet.

It looked like there were as a possibility here, but it did not pan out.  -production mode simply runs SPSS jobs and then closes SPSS silently.

I even discovered a hidden command line option called -runsyntax, which actually DOES launch SPSS and then (drumroll) run the syntax, however, it immediately closes SPSS afterward.

I tried a number of options to get it to stall out and cancel the closing of SPSS, such as opening a data file in the SPS file, forcing an error in syntax, but nothing worked.  SPSS will blanket ignore whatever the syntax file does and then close itself.  This might be worth further investigation, but I am out of ideas.

As it looks right now, the only option would be to write a conversion utility to convert between the two formats, and then have SPSS run the converted SAV file from the command line.  

Perhaps you could just ask your users to open SPSS on their own?  :)

spss  [-server <inet:hostname:port>] [-user <name>] [-password <password>]
      [-switchserver]
      [-singleseat]
      [-nologo]
      [-production [prompt|silent]]
      [-symbol <values>]
      [<filename>] ...
 
To start the application in distributed mode (Windows only): 
 
[-server <inet:hostname:port>] The name or IP address and port number 
                               of the server.
                               Example: -server myspsssvr:3016
 
[-user <name>]                 A valid user name. If a domain name is required,
                               precede the user name with the domain name and a
                               backslash (\).
                               Example: -user "myDomain\myUserName"
 
[-password <password>]         The user's password.
 
To start the application and prompt for server login information (Windows
only):
 
[-switchserver]                Display the "Server Login" dialog box. This
                               switch has precedence over the previous -server,
                               -user, and -password switches.
 
To start the application in single seat mode:
 
[-singleseat]                  Start application in a single seat mode.
 
If none of the previous switches is specified, the application starts in the
default mode.
 
Other switches:
 
[-nologo]                      Start the application without displaying the
                               splash screen.
 
[-production [prompt|silent]]  Start the application in production mode. The
                               prompt and silent keywords specify whether to
                               display the dialog that prompts for runtime
                               values if they are specified in the job. The
                               prompt keyword is the default and shows the
                               dialog. The silent keyword suppresses the
                               dialog. If you use the silent keyword, you can
                               define the runtime symbols with the -symbol
                               switch. Otherwise, the default value is used.
                               The -switchserver and -singleseat switches are
                               ignored when using -production.
                               Example: 
                           spss C:\job.spj -production silent -symbol @sex male
 
[-symbol <values>]             List of macro symbol-value pairs used in the
                               production job. Each symbol name starts with @.
                               Enclose a value with double quotes if it
                               contains spaces. Rules for including quotes or
                               apostrophes in string literals may vary across
                               operating systems, but enclosing a string that
                               includes single quotes or apostrophes in double
                               quotes usually works (for example, "'a quoted
                               value'").
                               Example:
                               -symbol @sex male @state "North Dakota"
 
[<filename>] ...               List of filenames, which can include all
                               application supported file types. Enclose with
                               double quotes if it contains spaces.
                               Example: spss C:\cars.sav C:\analysis.sps
 
Valid switch qualifiers are a hyphen (-) or double hyphen (--). You can also
use a forward slash (/) on Windows platforms. If a parameter is not preceded by
a switch qualifier or a valid argument, it is treated as a filename. 
                                              
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by: JReamPosted on 2008-12-23 at 11:45:04ID: 23236028

Hi richdiesal ,  thanks for that terrific answer.   You've pretty much confimed everything we've discovered this week with newer SPSS 17.  It's comforting to know we're not crazy.  

I just notice that SPSS recently suspended all v17 evaluation downloads from their website, maybe and hopefully they're fixing a bunch of stuff at once....

I'd like to leave this question open a couple more days maybe get some more valuable opinions.  Thanks.

 

by: JReamPosted on 2009-01-06 at 10:43:49ID: 23307582

PS.   After researching SPSS  versions 16, 17.0.0 & 17.0.1,  I can report that all of these version are problem plagued and full of bugs, whether you're looking at the core app (stats), or their poorly self-written JRE, all in the name of seeking computer platform independance.    Hopefully future releases beyond the current .1 will be better.   You should stick with SPSS version less than 16.  Or better yet switch to solid completing product, notably SAS.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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