Statistics File Node

You can use the Statistics File node to read data directly from a saved IBM® SPSS® Statistics file (.sav or .zsav). This format is now used to replace the cache file from earlier versions of IBM SPSS Modeler. If you would like to import a saved cache file, you should use the IBM SPSS Statistics File node.

Import file. Specify the name of the file. You can enter a filename or click the ellipsis button (...) to select a file. The file path is shown once you have selected a file.

File is password encrypted. Select this box if you know the file is password protected; you are the prompted to enter the Password. If the file is password protected, and you do not enter the password, a warning message is displayed if you attempt to change to another tab, refresh the data, preview the node contents, or try to execute a stream containing the node.

Note: Password protected files can only be opened by IBM SPSS Modeler version 16 or greater.

Variable names. Select a method of handling variable names and labels upon import from an IBM SPSS Statistics .sav or .zsav file. Metadata that you choose to include here persists throughout your work in IBM SPSS Modeler and may be exported again for use in IBM SPSS Statistics.

  • Read names and labels. Select to read both variable names and labels into IBM SPSS Modeler. By default, this option is selected and variable names are displayed in the Type node. Labels may be displayed in charts, model browsers, and other types of output, depending on the options specified in the stream properties dialog box. By default, the display of labels in output is disabled.
  • Read labels as names. Select to read the descriptive variable labels from the IBM SPSS Statistics .sav or .zsav file rather than the short field names, and use these labels as variable names in IBM SPSS Modeler.

Values. Select a method of handling values and labels upon import from an IBM SPSS Statistics .sav or .zsav file. Metadata that you choose to include here persists throughout your work in IBM SPSS Modeler and may be exported again for use in IBM SPSS Statistics.

  • Read data and labels. Select to read both actual values and value labels into IBM SPSS Modeler. By default, this option is selected and values themselves are displayed in the Type node. Value labels may be displayed in the Expression Builder, charts, model browsers, and other types of output, depending on the options specified in the stream properties dialog box.
  • Read labels as data. Select if you want to use the value labels from the .sav or .zsav file rather than the numerical or symbolic codes used to represent the values. For example, selecting this option for data with a gender field whose values of 1 and 2 actually represent male and female, respectively, will convert the field to a string and import male and female as the actual values.

    It is important to consider missing values in your IBM SPSS Statistics data before selecting this option. For example, if a numeric field uses labels only for missing values (0 = No Answer, –99 = Unknown), then selecting the option above will import only the value labels No Answer and Unknown and will convert the field to a string. In such cases, you should import the values themselves and set missing values in a Type node.

Use field format information to determine storage. If this box is cleared, field values that are formatted in the .sav file as integers (i.e., fields specified as Fn.0 in the Variable View in IBM SPSS Statistics) are imported using integer storage. All other field values except strings are imported as real numbers.

If this box is selected (default), all field values except strings are imported as real numbers, whether formatted in the .sav file as integers or not.

Multiple response sets. Any multiple response sets defined in the IBM SPSS Statistics file will automatically be preserved when the file is imported. You can view and edit multiple response sets from any node with a Filter tab. See the topic Editing Multiple Response Sets for more information.