SPSS Unix User's Cheat Sheet
All SPSS command lines "work" the same way on VMS and Unix platforms with
the following exceptions :
- On VMS, command verbs can be in mixed upper/lower case. On Unix command
verbs must be in lower case. Command verbs can be abbreviated to
the same limits on both VMS and Unix.
- At least one space character between the command verb and the
first qualifier or parameter is required on Unix. On VMS, no
space is required between the command verb and the first qualifier.
- Qualifier names must be preceded by a "/" on VMS and "-" on Unix.
Qualifier names can be in mixed case and abbreviated to the limits
of uniqueness on both VMS and Unix.
- A file containing a list of values can be indicated on the command
line (for those commands that accept lists) by indicating the
filename preceded by a file indicator character. The file indicator
character on VMS has been "~". Unfortunately, "~" is a special
shell character on Unix. The file indicator character on VMS is
either "~" or "%". On Unix the character is "%" or "\~".
- A qualifier on VMS with a list of values can optionally have the
the values enclosed in "()". "()" will not work in the "C" shell
on Unix. "()" are not required on either Unix or VMS.
- ";" is a command separator on Unix. The only place where this is
a problem is in the specification of an Orbit File. All programs
where an Orbit File is specified will now accept ":" as well as ";".
- Examples:
VMS : CCLIST/CREATE/NOPLAN NONE 1995.001 1995.007
Unix : cclist -create-noplan none 1995.001 1995.007
VMS : CAND/ADDSUS 1234501,1234502,1234503
Unix : cand -addsus 1234501,1234502,1234503
VMS : CAND/UPDATE/NOPLAN ~SU.LIST
Unix : cand -update-noplan %su.list
VMS : CALE/Corr/NOadd /START_RES /ORD
Unix : cale -Corr-NOadd -start_res -ord
VMS : CALENDAR/ADDCAND 1234502 "1234501,,,,,A"
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502 "1234501,,,,,A"
VMS : CALE/DISP/ORB=(02,07)
VMS : CALE/DISP/ORB=02,07
Unix : cale -disp-orb=02,07
VMS : CCLIST /CREATE/ORB=OR95001WA;01 NONE 1995.001 1995.007
VMS : CCLIST /CREATE/ORB=OR95001WA:01 NONE 1995.001 1995.007
VMS : CCLIST /CREATE/ORB=OR95001WA NONE 1995.001 1995.007
Unix : cclist -create-orb=OR95001WA:01 none 1995.001 1995.007
Unix : cclist -create-orb=OR95001WA none 1995.001 1995.007
- Unfortunately the "place" string in the CALENDAR/ADDCAND command is a
problem on Unix. If the first field in the "place" string (SU or Alignment
ID) is defaulted, the command fails on Unix. This is because the double
quote characters are stripped away by the shell and the command line
processing software cannot distinguish the "place" string from the SU ID
preceeding it. The following example shows the problem:
VMS : CALENDAR/ADDCAND 1234502 ",,,,,A"
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502 ",,,,,A"
On Unix, the quotes do nothing in this case. The command line parser
used by the SPSS software sees this as :
calendar -addcand 1234502,,,,,A
Which "means" the program has one parameter with 6 values. The second
parameter, the "place" string, is completely defaulted. This problem
does not appear if the first field in the place string is not defaulted :
calendar -addcand 1234502 1234501,,,,,A
We have introduced a new keyword, "NONE", for the first field in the
"place" string. The keyword "NONE" must be used if the first
"place" field is defaulted on Unix. The following commands are
functionally identical :
VMS : CALENDAR /ADDCAND 1234502 ",,,,,A"
VMS : CALENDAR /ADDCAND 1234502 "NONE,,,,,A"
VMS : CALENDAR /ADDCAND 1234502 NONE,,,,,A
VMS : CALENDAR /ADDCAND 1234502
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502 "NONE,,,,,A"
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502 NONE,,,,,A
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502 none,,,,,a
Unix : calendar -addcand 1234502
- Avoid file names that include the "-" character. The SPSS command
line parser will not accept filenames with a "-" character properly.
The parser interprets the characters following the "-" as a
qualifier name. For example :
% cclist -create %su-list.dat 1997.001 1997.007
CLI-ERROR - Error Opening File su
The command failed because it checks for the existence of file "su".
If a file named "su" actually existed, the command would still fail
because the qualifier "-list.dat" does not exist.
NOTE: Negative numbers for qualifier or parameter values will be
accepted as expected. For example, the following command
works ok :
% cheby -stpole -sun_delta=-10
- The VMS help system supports all SPSS commands. That is, to get help
on a command enter $ HELP . For example, to get help on the
CCLIST command :
$ HELP CCLIST
Unix "man" pages are not available for any SPSS commands.
Help is available through the WWW. The URL is :
http://www.pst.stsci.edu/spss/help/category_help_index_main.html
- All SPSS commands should work under any shell, but they have only
been tested under "c" and "tc" shell.
- SPSS "News" messages (Output written to the "screen" and the dayfile")
are written to "standard error" rather than "standard output". So
to redirect SPSS command output use the ">&" operator.
- All SPSS VMS symbols and logicals exist on Unix as environment
variables. Most environment variables can be "stretched" through
multiple directories using a single space character to separate
the directories. For example :
$ SHOW LOGICAL SPSSCCL
"SPSSCCL" = "DISK1:[SPSS.CCL]"
= "DISK2:[SHODDY.CCL]"
% echo $SPSSCCL
/disk1/spss/ccl/ /disk2/shoddy/ccl/