SPSS Syntax: Show with Output, Record in Journal, Etc.
Edit, Options, Viewer. Check “Display commands in the log.” Now the syntax will be copied
into the output.
SPSS can also record in a journal the syntax for all the commands you issue during an SPSS
session. I suggest that you define your SPSS syntax file in this way:
Click Edit, Options, General Tab. Check “Record syntax in journal.” Select “Overwrite.”
Browse to the location where you want to keep the syntax journal.
Click OK. Now everything you do during an SPSS session will be recorded in the journal. If
you want to save that syntax, just make a copy of the spss.jnl file (otherwise it will be overwritten
during your next session – you can set it to “Append” if you want to keep a running log of the syntax
across multiple sessions). If you want to run the same commands later, you can just paste that saved
syntax into the SPSS syntax editor and run it.
To open the Syntax Editor in SPSS, just click File, New, Syntax. You can then type or copy
syntax into the editor and run it.
When you are using SPSS GUI, you can click PASTE to copy the syntax into the editor, where
you can edit the syntax, add syntax that cannot be created with the GUI interface, etc.
Return to my SPSS Lessons Page.