How to Reduce the Size of an Excel Workbook to Upload to Stata

Information stored in text files have extensions such as*.txt,*.dat, or*.csv. These types of data files are simple to create and are not tied to a proprietary software, and so they are a popular choice for data files. While many computers will automatically open these file types in a spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel, they tin exist opened and edited using any text editor plan.

Importing text files into SPSS is slightly different than importing data in Excel spreadsheets. In that location are several different patterns used to delineate the start and end of a particular variable, and SPSS must know what pattern to follow in club to read the data correctly.

In full general, there are 2 patterns that SPSS recognizes:

Delimited information: Each observation is delimited, or separated, by a particular character. Common characters used for delimiters include commas, tabs, and whitespace.

          ID,Historic period,Gender A001,41,F A009,36,M C321,27,F        

Fixed-width information: Rather than using delimiters between observations, the values of the variables are aligned vertically, then that a given variable e'er begins in a certain column position. In the below example, ID ever begins in column 1; Historic period always begins in column x; and Gender e'er begins in column 16.

          ID       Age   Gender A001R    41    F Z009     36    Yard C321BC   27    F        

Files with the extension *.txt are called text files. This file type can contain fixed-width or delimited data. A common variation for *.txt files is tab-delimited data; that is, each observation is separated by a tab (created using the Tab key on the keyboard). Nevertheless, *.txt files do not always use tabs as delimiters -- in fact, *.txt files can utilize any character equally a delimiter, including commas.

Files with the extension *.csv are calledcomma-delimited files; in this blazon of file, the observations are delimited by a comma. Traditionally, the first row of a CSV file contains the variable names (separated by a comma), and the first row of data begins on the second line. Missing values are denoted using adjacent delimiters.

The process for importing any of these file types is virtually identical in SPSS, then here, we will demonstrate using merely a CSV file.

Importing a CSV File (SPSS 23 and later on)

To import a CSV data file into SPSS, brainstorm by clicking File > Open > Data. In the Open up Data window, change Files of type to "CSV (*.csv)". Locate your file and click on it to select information technology, then click OK. This will start the Text Import Wizard process, which will walk you through the process of specifying how SPSS should read and interpret the data file.

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This window provides a preview of the data in your text file. The first step is to indicate whether the data matches a predefined format, which would be a format saved from a previous text file imported with the Text Import Wizard. (This would exist the example if y'all had already imported a text information file into SPSS in the past that was formatted exactly the same way, and had called to save the import format during the concluding step of the Text Import Wizard.) In most cases there will not be a predefined format.

If your information matches a predefined format, clickYes and then scan for and upload the file that defines the format.

If your data exercise not lucifer a predefined format, clickNo, and then clickSide by side.

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If your data did non friction match a predefined format you will demand to tell SPSS how your data is bundled, then that it understands where one cavalcade ends and the next begins. For text files, there are ii types of "arrangements": delimited and fixed width. If you are importing a CSV file, you take delimited data. You volition also need to tell SPSS if the datafile contains variable names. For CSV files, variable names are typically included on the starting time line of the data file, before the data begins; nonetheless, some datafiles do not include variable names.

In the "How are your variables arranged" area, click the radio button that matches your information's format:

• Delimited: Variable values are delimited (or separated) in the file past a special character, such as a comma or a tab.
• Fixed width: Variables are aligned in fixed width columns.

In the "Are variable names included at the top of your file" area, clickYes orNo.

If necessary, choose the symbol used to denote decimals. Then clickNext.

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Nosotros at present need to tell SPSS what row our data begins on, and how many rows should be read. For CSV files, the offset row typically contains the variable names, and the information values brainstorm on line 2. All the same, you can choose to skip over certain lines if necessary. (Ane example where this occurs is in Qualtrics survey information output to CSV: The second row frequently contains variable labels, and ofttimes there may exist a third row containing import IDs, and the data really begins on line four.) Lastly, if you only want to import a selection of cases -- for example, the first one thousand cases, or a random sample of 10% of the cases -- yous can opt to do so on this screen.

ClickNext when you are finished.

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In the "Which delimiters appear between variables" area, select the bank check box that reflects the delimiter used in your information. The delimiter is what is used to split values from each other within the data. The options include Tab, Space, Comma, Semicolon, Other. If the text file is a .csv file, then the delimiter is a comma. If yous practise not know which delimiter is used in the text file, refer to documentation that is associated with your data or enquire someone who knows how the data file was created.

The options Remove leading spaces from string values and Removing abaft spaces from cord values were added in SPSS version 25. If you are using SPSS version 24 or earlier, y'all will non meet these options on this window.

SPSS attempts to guess what delimiters your file is using. For example, when using the import wizard to import the sample data in *.csv format, SPSS guesses that both commas and spaces were used as delimiters. Observe how that affects the parsing of variable Major:

Because SPSS thinks that both spaces and commas were used every bit delimiters, it thinks that the spaces occurring in the names of the majors delimit observations for subsequent variables, and hence, SPSS interprets private words equally readings for the adjacent variable(southward) (here, variables Height, Weight, and Smoking). Clearing the check box next toSpace will correct this, and the alter will be reflected in the preview.

Notice, however, that there was still at least 1 case where the observation for Major was incorrectly split beyond ii columns. Notice how the value has double quotes (") earlier the first give-and-take and later the terminal word. These quotes are existence used as the text qualifiers; that is, they indicate where the ascertainment starts and ends. To correct this, we need to change the text qualifier selection to Double quote.

ClickNext when you are finished.

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This footstep allows y'all to specify the format for each variable in the data file. In the "Specifications for variable(south) selected in the information preview" area, SPSS explains what criteria it uses to "approximate" what format to utilise. In SPSS versions 24 and earlier, the default format chosen for a given variable is based on the values nowadays in the first 200 records. In SPSS version 25, the default format called is based on 95% of the cases.

In the Data Preview area, SPSS displays a preview of how your data will announced in SPSS once the import is consummate. You can select any of the variable names (columns) in order to modify the variable name or alter its format. For instance, in the example in a higher place we have selected the variable bday in the Data Preview expanse. This variable proper name now appears in the Variable name surface area above, and the Data format is also displayed—which, in this example, is Appointment/Fourth dimension. You can modify the format of the variable by selecting a dissimilar format from the drib down bill of fare; hither, nosotros have selected mm/dd/yyyy to match the formatting of the observations in this column. It is important to check every variable to make sure the format and length is correct, rather than relying on SPSS to correctly identify the variable formats; this ensures that you control exactly how each variable was read.

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In the concluding step, yous tin choose to save the file format that you lot but defined for the current data file in example you volition import data with the same construction and format in the future. Yous tin also cull to salvage the syntax, which is SPSS'due south text-based command language. Saving the syntax would allow you to format future data files in the same way without having to manually select each of the options in the Import Wizard again.

A preview of your data appears at the bottom of the dialog box. If you are satisfied with the way the preview looks, click Finish to finalize the import. At present your data should appear in SPSS in Data View window. Information technology is a good thought to save your newly imported data every bit an SPSS file (extension ".sav") so that you can easily open the file in SPSS in the future.

Shortcut for Importing CSV Files (SPSS 25)

In whatever version of SPSS, you can open up a text or CSV file by using File > Open > Data. Prior to SPSS version 25, you could alternatively use File > Read Text Information to brainstorm importing a text or CSV file; this functioned identically to File > Open up Information. In SPSS version 25, Read Text Data has been removed from the File carte, and replaced with the File > Import Information submenu.

Clicking File > Import Data > CSV volition open the Read CSV File window:

This prompt attempts to simplify the import process, so certain actions (similar renaming variables before importing, or manually specifying variable formats) are removed from this screen. If you demand this level of control, you can click the Advanced Options push button; this will open the Text Import Magician (described in the previous section).

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Source: https://libguides.library.kent.edu/spss/importdata