Overview (SAVE TRANSLATE command)

SAVE TRANSLATE translates the active dataset into a file that can be used by other software applications. Supported formats are 1-2-3, Symphony, Multiplan, Excel, dBASE II, dBASE III, dBASE IV, tab-delimited text files, comma-delimited text files, SAS, Stata, SPSS/PC+ data files, and ODBC database sources. For ODBC database sources, it can also manipulate database tables.

Options

Variable Subsets. You can use the DROP and KEEP subcommands to specify variables to omit or retain in the resulting file.

Variable Names. You can use the RENAME subcommand to rename variables as they are copied to the external file format. For spreadsheets and text data files, use FIELDNAMES to include the variable names in the file.

Variable Map. To confirm the names and order of the variables that are saved in the resulting file, use the MAP subcommand. MAP displays the variables that are saved in the file next to their corresponding names in the active dataset.

Value Labels. For Excel spreadsheets and tab-delimited and comma-delimited text files, you can use the CELLS subcommand to export value labels rather than values in spreadsheet files. For SAS files, you can use the VALFILE subcommand to create a SAS syntax file containing your data’s value labels. For Stata files, value labels for numeric variables are automatically saved as Stata value labels.

Limitations

  • A maximum of 2,048 cases can be saved to 1-2-3 Release 1A; a maximum of 8,192 cases can be saved to 1-2-3 Release 2.0 or Symphony files.
  • A maximum of 16,384 cases can be saved to Excel 2.1. For Excel 95, Excel 97 and Excel 2007, if the number of cases exceeds the single sheet maximum, multiple sheets are created in the workbook.
  • A maximum of 256 variables can be saved to Excel 2.1 Excel 95, and Excel 97; a maximum of 16,000 variables can be saved to Excel 2007.
  • A maximum of 65,535 cases and 32 variables can be saved to dBASE II, a maximum of one billion cases (subject to disk space availability) and 128 variables can be saved to dBASE III, and a maximum of one billion cases (subject to disk space availability) and 255 variables can be saved to dBASE IV.
  • A maximum of 2,047 variables can be saved to Stata 5–6 and Intercooled Stata 7–14. A maximum of 32,767 variables can be saved to Stata SE 7–14.
  • A maximum of 32,767 variables can be saved to SAS 6-8.