Reading in Text Data

Figure 1. Adding a Variable File node
Adding a Variable File node

You can read in delimited text data using a Variable File node. You can add a Variable File node from the palettes--either click the Sources tab to find the node or use the Favorites tab, which includes this node by default. Next, double-click the newly placed node to open its dialog box.

Click the button just to the right of the File box marked with an ellipsis (...) to browse to the directory in which IBM® SPSS® Modeler is installed on your system. Open the Demos directory and select the file called DRUG1n.

Ensuring that Read field names from file is selected, notice the fields and values that have just been loaded into the dialog box.

Figure 2. Variable File dialog box
Variable File dialog box
Figure 3. Changing the storage type for a field
Changing the storage type for a field
Figure 4. Selecting Value options on the Types tab
Selecting Value options on the Types tab

Click the Data tab to override and change Storage for a field. Note that storage is different from Measurement, that is, the measurement level (or usage type) of the data field. The Types tab helps you learn more about the type of fields in your data. You can also choose Read Values to view the actual values for each field based on the selections that you make from the Values column. This process is known as instantiation.

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