Adding to Curtis's comments, a fixed format is incompatible with utf-8 encoding, because extended characters take a variable number of bytes in that encoding. So if your encoding setting is generating utf-8, it can't actually be fixed unless it happens that all the characters are plain ascii, where each character tqkes exactly one byte. And note that if you do write a file with extended characters in utf-8, it may look strange if you are viewing it in a text editor that does not recognize utf-8.
A post of a portion of the exported file would be helpful in figuring this out.
Original Message:
Sent: Tue May 07, 2024 11:35 AM
From: Curtis Browning
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Hi Emily,
I need more information in order to understand what you are trying to do:
- What encoding are you trying to use when exporting?
- Is Statistics in Unicode mode or codepage mode (set either via syntax or on the Language tab in Options)?
- What kind of special characters do you have in the Data Editor that are getting garbled upon export?
- When you say a ".dat file with spaces only", do you mean a text file in which the values are delimited by space characters?
- What locale is Statistics set to when you do the export (e.g. 'SHOW LOCALE.')
Fixed text export is about writing text files that are padded to a fixed width for each variable in each row. It doesn't sound like that's what you are trying for.
Regards,
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Curtis Browning
SPSS Statistics Architect
Original Message:
Sent: Tue May 07, 2024 01:06 AM
From: Emily Winchip
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Hi Curtis,
Yes, I saw that in the thread above and that make a huge difference. Unfortunately, the exported file still doesn't work for me and when it is locally encoded it is filled with a bunch of different languages instead of Arabic numerals. There's a little Hindi, Chinese and maybe something else also. What I'm trying to make is a .dat file with spaces only, no tabs and the program suggests I can do this as a 'fixed text' export but that doesn't seem to work either. Any recommendations? Is there a continuing bug with encoding, or does it have something to do with the region of the program (Australia) versus my region (Middle East)?
Thanks,
Emily
 | Emily Winchip
Assistant Professor
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Original Message:
Sent: 5/6/2024 2:00:00 PM
From: Curtis Browning
Subject: RE: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Hi @Emily Winchip,
Sorry you're having difficulty. May I ask:
- In the "Save as type:" dropdown on the file system dialog, are you choosing a file type that supports encoding such as CSV, Fixed, or Tab delimited? Only those export types support a character encoding.
- Have you selected a Look and Feel from the General tab of SPSS Options that is not Macintosh? That is a native MacOS Look and Feel and we cannot control the content there. The other three Look and Feel types do work with this, however.
- Have you unchecked the "Display native MacOS file dialogs" options in the General tab of SPSS options?
HTH,
------------------------------
Curtis Browning
SPSS Statistics Architect
Original Message:
Sent: Fri May 03, 2024 09:37 AM
From: Emily Winchip
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
I'm having this same issue. SPSS for Mac doesn't allow me to choose encoding. I used the link above and updated to 29.0.1.0 and it still is the same. I looked over the list of their fixes and it doesn't say that they fixed anything with encoding. Any recommendations?
------------------------------
Emily Winchip
Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 16, 2023 02:46 PM
From: David Dwyer
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Hi @Jeremiah Jaggers
See the Downloading IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.1.0 document above:
------------------------------
David Dwyer
SPSS Technical Support
IBM Software
Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 16, 2023 11:35 AM
From: Jeremiah Jaggers
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Thank you for your help. It looks like the link you sent is for Windows. Is there a similar fix for Mac?
------------------------------
Jeremiah Jaggers
Original Message:
Sent: Tue August 15, 2023 11:43 AM
From: David Dwyer
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
Hi @Jeremiah Jaggers
This is an issue resolved by IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.1.0. See Known Issue DT169190 . While there exists an Interim Fix for this very specific behavior, you are better served to download and install IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.1.0, rather than tinkering with individual fixes. See the Downloading IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.1.0 document. At the bottom are links to the installation media in Fix Central.
------------------------------
David Dwyer
SPSS Technical Support
IBM Software
Original Message:
Sent: Thu August 10, 2023 05:09 PM
From: Jeremiah Jaggers
Subject: "write variable names to file" checkbox missing
I am trying to save a .sav file as a .dta file to use in Mplus. However, the checkbox that is normally present on a Windows computer to "write variable names to file" is missing on my Mac. I have unchecked "Display native macOS file dialogs" and set the look to SPSS Standard. I have tried everything I can and am now in need of some assistance.
MacOS: Ventura 13.4
SPSS 29 for Mac
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Jeremiah Jaggers
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