User Guide

22
Chapter 3
Variable names. If you read the first row of the Excel file (or the first row of the
specified range) as variable names, values that don’t conform to variable naming rules
are convert
ed to valid variable names, and the original names are used as variable
labels. If you do not read variable names from the Excel file, default variable names
are assigned.
How the Data Editor Reads Older Excel Files a nd Other
Spreadsheets
The following rules apply to reading Excel files prior to version 5 and other
spreadshe
et data:
Data type and width. The data type and width for each variable are determined by the
column width and data type of the first data cell in the column. Values of other types
are conve
rted to the system-missing value. If the first data cell in the column is blank,
the global default data type for the spreadsheet (usually numeric) is used.
Blank cells. For numeric variables, blank cells are converted to the system-missing
value, in
dicated by a period. For string variables, a blank is a valid string value, and
blank cells are treated as valid string values.
Variable names. If you do not read variable names from the spreadsheet, the column
letters
(A, B, C, ...) are used for variable names for Excel and Lotus files. For SYLK
files and Excel files saved in R1C1 display format, the software uses the column
number preceded by the letter C for variable names (C1, C2, C3, ...).
How the Data Editor Reads dBASE Files
Database files are logically very similar to SPSS-format data files. The following
general rules apply to dBASE files:
 Field names are converted to valid variable names.
 Colons used in dBASE field names are translated to underscores.
 Records marked for deletion but not actually purged are included. The software
creates a new string variable, D_R, which contains an asterisk for cases marked
for del
etion.