Programming with SPSS Scripts

Target Audience:
Proficient users of SPSS who want to learn about the added functionality of SPSS Scripting.

Prerequisites:
Experience of working in the Windows or NT environment and an understanding of basic Windows features. A good working knowledge of SPSS and SPSS Syntax. Attendance of the ‘Introduction to SPSS Scripts’ is preferred.

Overview:
The course introduces SPSS users to many of the fundamentals of the Scripting options in SPSS. This includes coverage of the core elements of the Sax Basic scripting language.

Objectives:
By the end of the course you will have learned to:
• Extend the use of the interactive debugging facility
• Increase control of the SPSS application through Scripts
• Build dialog boxes to allow user input
• Manipulate SPSS output with Scripts
• Autoscripting

Duration: 2 days

Course Content: Using and modifying an existing script
• Calling a subroutine
• Functions Versus Subroutines
• SPSS Variable Types
• Setting Options in Scripts

The Interactive Debugging Facility
• Using the Interactive Debugger
• Extended Debugging functionality
• Testing a Script

The SPSS object model
• Controlling SPSS
• The objSPSSApp Object Variable
• SPSS Objects

Using Dialog Boxes
• The dialog editor
• Creating Dialog Boxes in Scripts
• Associating a Dialog with a Dialog Function
• The Select Case Statement
• Scoping

Using Scripts with SPSS Output
• Looping through Output Items
• The Pivot table Object
• Converting a subroutine to a function

Additional Course content:
• Useful Scripting Features
• Additional Scripts