SPSS Statistics

I'm using SPSS 29 on a Mac running Sonoma 14.4.1. I am trying to open a .jnl file so that I can save the syntax from commands I run using the dropdown menu, but when I try to open this (File > Open > Syntax) the journal file is greyed out and won't let me open it. 

I saw on a previous thread a suggestion to change the file location to ensure it's in a file location to which I have full rights (Edit > Options > File Locations) but this still doesn't work. 

I've also tried getting the syntax to show in the output log (Edit > Options > Viewer > Check the box "display commands in the log") but this doesn't seem to post the syntax from everything I do.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Hi @Eleanor Barton,

The SPSS Journal file is not intended to be opened in the Syntax Editor. Although both the .sps (syntax) and .jnl (journal) file formats are text formats, syntax is a specific text format that has additional semantics. The journal file is for keeping a record of your past actions in Statistics, and also for tracking down any problems. It is best read in a regular text editor, which on MacOS could be the TextEdit application, or any other text editor.

HTH,