Custom Dialogs for Extension Commands

Extension commands are user-defined IBM® SPSS® Statistics commands that are implemented in the Python programming language, R or Java. Once deployed to an instance of IBM SPSS Statistics, an extension command is run in the same manner as any built-in IBM SPSS Statistics command. You can use the Custom Dialog Builder to create a dialog for an extension command by specifying the dialog's syntax template so that it generates the command syntax for the extension command.

When you build your custom dialog in the Custom Dialog Builder for Extensions, you add the files for the extension command (the XML file that specifies the syntax of the extension command and the implementation files that are written in Python, R, or Java) to the extension that contains your dialog. In the Custom Dialog Builder for Extensions, you add files to an extension from the Extension Properties dialog, which is accessed from Extension > Properties. You can then install the extension or save it to an extension bundle (*.spe or *.spxt) file so that you can share it with other users.

If you are working in Compatibility mode, you first save the custom dialog to a compatible custom dialog package (.spd) file. You then create a new extension bundle and add the .spd file and the files for the extension command (the XML file that specifies the syntax of the extension command and the implementation files that are written in Python, R, or Java) to the extension bundle. You can then install the extension bundle or share it with other users. See the topic Creating and editing extension bundles for more information.