#SPSSStatistics

Variable attributes are, of course, variable specific, so you have to know the variable name that owns the attribute.  You might be able to use file attributes instead.

Otherwise, you could iterate over the variable index and find the attributes for each variable via spss.GetVarAttributeNames.

Otherwise, if you have a list of candidate variables, you could capture the output of DISPLAY ATTRIBUTES with OMS and parse through that.

------------------------------
Jon Peck
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 05:13 PM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: Deleting a variable attribute

Hi. 

I need to remove a variable attribute by name.

Not just the attribute values, but the entire attribute column in variable view.

I tried

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

which prints

Warnings

VARIABLES is required.

Execution of this command stops.

Changing to 

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    VARIABLES = first_var_in_dataset  TO last_var_in_dataset

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

works.

How can I delete a variable attribute if I do _not_ know the first and last variable at runtime and hence can not hard code their names?

#SPSSStatistics

Original Message:
Sent: 11/30/2022 5:22:00 PM
From: Jon Peck
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Variable attributes are, of course, variable specific, so you have to know the variable name that owns the attribute.  You might be able to use file attributes instead.

Otherwise, you could iterate over the variable index and find the attributes for each variable via spss.GetVarAttributeNames.

Otherwise, if you have a list of candidate variables, you could capture the output of DISPLAY ATTRIBUTES with OMS and parse through that.

------------------------------
Jon Peck
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 05:13 PM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: Deleting a variable attribute

Hi. 

I need to remove a variable attribute by name.

Not just the attribute values, but the entire attribute column in variable view.

I tried

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

which prints

Warnings

VARIABLES is required.

Execution of this command stops.

Changing to 

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    VARIABLES = first_var_in_dataset  TO last_var_in_dataset

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

works.

How can I delete a variable attribute if I do _not_ know the first and last variable at runtime and hence can not hard code their names?

#SPSSStatistics

Original Message:
Sent: 12/4/2022 5:30:00 AM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Yes, these may be ways to go. However, I don't see why these steps should be required. Sure, variable attributes (or rather their values) are variable specific. But I want to delete an entire attribute without a trace, regardless of variable order or variable-specific attribute values. Just as I can „DELETE VARIABLE my_var" in ignorance of case specific variable values or case order. It's a pity I can't, and so far I consider this an unfavorable implementation detail. Are there any logically imperative reasons why it should not be possible to delete the entire attribute column with its values for all variables with (say) "VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE DELETE = my_var_attr."?

Original Message:
Sent: 11/30/2022 5:22:00 PM
From: Jon Peck
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Variable attributes are, of course, variable specific, so you have to know the variable name that owns the attribute.  You might be able to use file attributes instead.

Otherwise, you could iterate over the variable index and find the attributes for each variable via spss.GetVarAttributeNames.

Otherwise, if you have a list of candidate variables, you could capture the output of DISPLAY ATTRIBUTES with OMS and parse through that.

------------------------------
Jon Peck
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 05:13 PM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: Deleting a variable attribute

Hi. 

I need to remove a variable attribute by name.

Not just the attribute values, but the entire attribute column in variable view.

I tried

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

which prints

Warnings

VARIABLES is required.

Execution of this command stops.

Changing to 

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    VARIABLES = first_var_in_dataset  TO last_var_in_dataset

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

works.

How can I delete a variable attribute if I do _not_ know the first and last variable at runtime and hence can not hard code their names?

#SPSSStatistics

Original Message:
Sent: 12/4/2022 10:04:00 AM
From: Jon Peck
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Why not just Submit a command like this.

variable attribute variables=all delete=fred.

--

Jon K Peck
jkpeck@gmail.com

Original Message:
Sent: 12/4/2022 5:30:00 AM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Yes, these may be ways to go. However, I don't see why these steps should be required. Sure, variable attributes (or rather their values) are variable specific. But I want to delete an entire attribute without a trace, regardless of variable order or variable-specific attribute values. Just as I can „DELETE VARIABLE my_var" in ignorance of case specific variable values or case order. It's a pity I can't, and so far I consider this an unfavorable implementation detail. Are there any logically imperative reasons why it should not be possible to delete the entire attribute column with its values for all variables with (say) "VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE DELETE = my_var_attr."?

Original Message:
Sent: 11/30/2022 5:22:00 PM
From: Jon Peck
Subject: RE: Deleting a variable attribute

Variable attributes are, of course, variable specific, so you have to know the variable name that owns the attribute.  You might be able to use file attributes instead.

Otherwise, you could iterate over the variable index and find the attributes for each variable via spss.GetVarAttributeNames.

Otherwise, if you have a list of candidate variables, you could capture the output of DISPLAY ATTRIBUTES with OMS and parse through that.

------------------------------
Jon Peck
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 05:13 PM
From: Frank Watzl
Subject: Deleting a variable attribute

Hi. 

I need to remove a variable attribute by name.

Not just the attribute values, but the entire attribute column in variable view.

I tried

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

which prints

Warnings

VARIABLES is required.

Execution of this command stops.

Changing to 

VARIABLE ATTRIBUTE

    VARIABLES = first_var_in_dataset  TO last_var_in_dataset

    DELETE = my_var_attr.

works.

How can I delete a variable attribute if I do _not_ know the first and last variable at runtime and hence can not hard code their names?

#SPSSStatistics