4 Commands that don't fit any other category are placed here.
6 Most of these commands are not affected by commands like @cmd{IF} and
8 they take effect only once, unconditionally, at the time that they are
9 encountered in the input.
12 * ADD DOCUMENT:: Add documentary text to the active file.
13 * CACHE:: Ignored for compatibility.
14 * CD:: Change the current directory.
15 * COMMENT:: Document your syntax file.
16 * DOCUMENT:: Document the active file.
17 * DISPLAY DOCUMENTS:: Display active file documents.
18 * DISPLAY FILE LABEL:: Display the active file label.
19 * DROP DOCUMENTS:: Remove documents from the active file.
20 * ECHO:: Write a string to the output stream.
21 * ERASE:: Erase a file.
22 * EXECUTE:: Execute pending transformations.
23 * FILE LABEL:: Set the active file's label.
24 * FINISH:: Terminate the PSPP session.
25 * HOST:: Temporarily return to the operating system.
26 * INCLUDE:: Include a file within the current one.
27 * INSERT:: Insert a file within the current one.
28 * PERMISSIONS:: Change permissions on a file.
29 * PRESERVE and RESTORE:: Saving settings and restoring them later.
30 * SET:: Adjust PSPP runtime parameters.
31 * SHOW:: Display runtime parameters.
32 * SUBTITLE:: Provide a document subtitle.
33 * TITLE:: Provide a document title.
37 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
43 'line one' 'line two' @dots{} 'last line' .
47 @cmd{ADD DOCUMENT} adds one or more lines of descriptive commentary to
48 the active file. Documents added in this way are saved to system files.
49 They can be viewed using @cmd{SYSFILE INFO} or @cmd{DISPLAY
50 DOCUMENTS}. They can be removed from the active file with @cmd{DROP
53 Each line of documentary text must be enclosed in quotation marks, and
54 may not be more than 80 bytes long. @xref{DOCUMENT}.
64 This command is accepted, for compatibility, but it has no effect.
70 @cindex changing directory
76 @cmd{CD} changes the current directory. The new directory will become that specified by the command.
84 Two possibles syntaxes:
85 COMMENT comment text @dots{} .
86 *comment text @dots{} .
89 @cmd{COMMENT} is ignored. It is used to provide information to
90 the author and other readers of the PSPP syntax file.
92 @cmd{COMMENT} can extend over any number of lines. Don't forget to
93 terminate it with a dot or a blank line.
102 DOCUMENT @var{documentary_text}.
105 @cmd{DOCUMENT} adds one or more lines of descriptive commentary to the
106 active file. Documents added in this way are saved to system files.
107 They can be viewed using @cmd{SYSFILE INFO} or @cmd{DISPLAY
108 DOCUMENTS}. They can be removed from the active file with @cmd{DROP
111 Specify the @var{documentary text} following the DOCUMENT keyword.
112 It is interpreted literally --- any quotes or other punctuation marks
113 will be included in the file.
114 You can extend the documentary text over as many lines as necessary.
115 Lines are truncated at 80 bytes. Don't forget to terminate
116 the command with a dot or a blank line. @xref{ADD DOCUMENT}.
118 @node DISPLAY DOCUMENTS
119 @section DISPLAY DOCUMENTS
120 @vindex DISPLAY DOCUMENTS
126 @cmd{DISPLAY DOCUMENTS} displays the documents in the active file. Each
127 document is preceded by a line giving the time and date that it was
128 added. @xref{DOCUMENT}.
130 @node DISPLAY FILE LABEL
131 @section DISPLAY FILE LABEL
132 @vindex DISPLAY FILE LABEL
138 @cmd{DISPLAY FILE LABEL} displays the file label contained in the
140 if any. @xref{FILE LABEL}.
142 This command is a PSPP extension.
145 @section DROP DOCUMENTS
146 @vindex DROP DOCUMENTS
152 @cmd{DROP DOCUMENTS} removes all documents from the active file.
153 New documents can be added with @cmd{DOCUMENT} (@pxref{DOCUMENT}).
155 @cmd{DROP DOCUMENTS} changes only the active file. It does not modify any
156 system files stored on disk.
163 ECHO 'arbitrary text' .
166 Use @cmd{ECHO} to write arbitrary text to the output stream. The text should be enclosed in quotation marks following the normal rules for string tokens (@pxref{Tokens}).
169 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
174 ERASE FILE file_name.
177 @cmd{ERASE FILE} deletes a file from the local filesystem.
178 file_name must be quoted.
179 This command cannot be used if the SAFER setting is active.
190 @cmd{EXECUTE} causes the active file to be read and all pending
191 transformations to be executed.
198 FILE LABEL file_label.
201 @cmd{FILE LABEL} provides a title for the active file. This
202 title will be saved into system files and portable files that are
203 created during this PSPP run.
205 file_label need not be quoted. If quotes are
206 included, they become part of the file label.
216 @cmd{FINISH} terminates the current PSPP session and returns
217 control to the operating system.
220 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
226 HOST COMMAND=['command'...].
229 @cmd{HOST} suspends the current PSPP session and temporarily returns control
230 to the operating system.
231 This command cannot be used if the SAFER setting is active.
233 If the COMMAND subcommand is specified, as a sequence of shell
234 commands as quoted strings within square brackets, then PSPP executes
235 them together in a single subshell.
237 If no subcommands are specified, then PSPP invokes an interactive
245 INCLUDE [FILE=]'file-name'.
248 @cmd{INCLUDE} causes the PSPP command processor to read an
249 additional command file as if it were included bodily in the current
251 If errors are encountered in the included file, then command processing will
252 stop and no more commands will be processed.
253 Include files may be nested to any depth, up to the limit of available
257 The @cmd{INSERT} command (@pxref{INSERT}) may be used instead of
258 @cmd{INCLUDE} if you require more flexible options.
261 INCLUDE FILE=@var{file-name}.
264 functions identically to
266 INSERT FILE=@var{file-name} ERROR=STOP CD=NO SYNTAX=BATCH.
275 INSERT [FILE=]'file-name'
277 [ERROR=@{CONTINUE,STOP@}]
278 [SYNTAX=@{BATCH,INTERACTIVE@}].
281 @cmd{INSERT} is similar to @cmd{INCLUDE} (@pxref{INCLUDE})
282 but somewhat more flexible.
283 It causes the command processor to read a file as if it were embedded in the
284 current command file.
286 If @samp{CD=YES} is specified, then before including the file, the
287 current directory will be changed to the directory of the included
289 The default setting is @samp{CD=NO}.
290 Note that this directory will remain current until it is
291 changed explicitly (with the @cmd{CD} command, or a subsequent
292 @cmd{INSERT} command with the @samp{CD=YES} option).
293 It will not revert to its original setting even after the included
294 file is finished processing.
296 If @samp{ERROR=STOP} is specified, errors encountered in the
297 inserted file will cause processing to immediately cease.
298 Otherwise processing will continue at the next command.
299 The default setting is @samp{ERROR=CONTINUE}.
301 If @samp{SYNTAX=INTERACTIVE} is specified then the syntax contained in
302 the included file must conform to interactive syntax
303 conventions. @xref{Syntax Variants}.
304 The default setting is @samp{SYNTAX=BATCH}.
311 @cindex changing file permissions
316 /PERMISSIONS = @{READONLY,WRITEABLE@}.
319 @cmd{PERMISSIONS} changes the permissions of a file.
320 There is one mandatory subcommand which specifies the permissions to
321 which the file should be changed.
322 If you set a file's permission to READONLY, then the file will become
323 unwritable either by you or anyone else on the system.
324 If you set the permission to WRITEABLE, then the file will become
325 writeable by you; the permissions afforded to others will be
327 This command cannot be used if the SAFER setting is active.
330 @node PRESERVE and RESTORE
331 @section PRESERVE and RESTORE
341 @cmd{PRESERVE} saves all of the settings that @cmd{SET} (@pxref{SET})
342 can adjust. A later @cmd{RESTORE} command restores those settings.
344 @cmd{PRESERVE} can be nested up to five levels deep.
354 /BLANKS=@{SYSMIS,'.',number@}
355 /DECIMAL=@{DOT,COMMA@}
357 /EPOCH=@{AUTOMATIC,year@}
358 /RIB=@{NATIVE,MSBFIRST,LSBFIRST,VAX@}
359 /RRB=@{NATIVE,ISL,ISB,IDL,IDB,VF,VD,VG,ZS,ZL@}
363 /MXWARNS=max_warnings
364 /WORKSPACE=workspace_size
368 /MITERATE=max_iterations
372 /SEED=@{RANDOM,seed_value@}
373 /UNDEFINED=@{WARN,NOWARN@}
376 /CC@{A,B,C,D,E@}=@{'npre,pre,suf,nsuf','npre.pre.suf.nsuf'@}
377 /DECIMAL=@{DOT,COMMA@}
379 /WIB=@{NATIVE,MSBFIRST,LSBFIRST,VAX@}
380 /WRB=@{NATIVE,ISL,ISB,IDL,IDB,VF,VD,VG,ZS,ZL@}
383 /ERRORS=@{ON,OFF,TERMINAL,LISTING,BOTH,NONE@}
384 /MESSAGES=@{ON,OFF,TERMINAL,LISTING,BOTH,NONE@}
385 /PRINTBACK=@{ON,OFF,TERMINAL,LISTING,BOTH,NONE@}
386 /RESULTS=@{ON,OFF,TERMINAL,LISTING,BOTH,NONE@}
388 (output driver options)
389 /HEADERS=@{NO,YES,BLANK@}
390 /LENGTH=@{NONE,length_in_lines@}
392 /WIDTH=@{NARROW,WIDTH,n_characters@}
395 /JOURNAL=@{ON,OFF@} ['file-name']
398 /COMPRESSION=@{ON,OFF@}
399 /SCOMPRESSION=@{ON,OFF@}
406 (obsolete settings accepted for compatibility, but ignored)
407 /BOXSTRING=@{'xxx','xxxxxxxxxxx'@}
408 /CASE=@{UPPER,UPLOW@}
412 /LOWRES=@{AUTO,ON,OFF@}
414 /MENUS=@{STANDARD,EXTENDED@}
417 /TB1=@{'xxx','xxxxxxxxxxx'@}
422 @cmd{SET} allows the user to adjust several parameters relating to
423 PSPP's execution. Since there are many subcommands to this command, its
424 subcommands will be examined in groups.
426 On subcommands that take boolean values, ON and YES are synonym, and
427 as are OFF and NO, when used as subcommand values.
429 The data input subcommands affect the way that data is read from data
430 files. The data input subcommands are
435 This is the value assigned to an item data item that is empty or
436 contains only white space. An argument of SYSMIS or '.' will cause the
437 system-missing value to be assigned to null items. This is the
438 default. Any real value may be assigned.
442 This value may be set to DOT or COMMA.
443 Setting it to DOT causes the decimal point character to be
444 @samp{.} and the grouping character to be @samp{,}.
446 causes the decimal point character to be @samp{,} and the grouping
447 character to be @samp{.}.
448 The default value is determined from the system locale.
451 Allows the default numeric input/output format to be specified. The
452 default is F8.2. @xref{Input and Output Formats}.
456 Specifies the range of years used when a 2-digit year is read from a
457 data file or used in a date construction expression (@pxref{Date
458 Construction}). If a 4-digit year is specified for the epoch, then
459 2-digit years are interpreted starting from that year, known as the
460 epoch. If AUTOMATIC (the default) is specified, then the epoch begins
461 69 years before the current date.
466 PSPP extension to set the byte ordering (endianness) used for reading
467 data in IB or PIB format (@pxref{Binary and Hexadecimal Numeric
468 Formats}). In MSBFIRST ordering, the most-significant byte appears at
469 the left end of a IB or PIB field. In LSBFIRST ordering, the
470 least-significant byte appears at the left end. VAX ordering is like
471 MSBFIRST, except that each pair of bytes is in reverse order. NATIVE,
472 the default, is equivalent to MSBFIRST or LSBFIRST depending on the
473 native format of the machine running PSPP.
478 PSPP extension to set the floating-point format used for reading data in
479 RB format (@pxref{Binary and Hexadecimal Numeric Formats}). The
484 The native format of the machine running PSPP. Equivalent to either IDL
488 32-bit IEEE 754 single-precision floating point, in little-endian byte
492 32-bit IEEE 754 single-precision floating point, in big-endian byte
496 64-bit IEEE 754 double-precision floating point, in little-endian byte
500 64-bit IEEE 754 double-precision floating point, in big-endian byte
504 32-bit VAX F format, in VAX-endian byte order.
507 64-bit VAX D format, in VAX-endian byte order.
510 64-bit VAX G format, in VAX-endian byte order.
513 32-bit IBM Z architecture short format hexadecimal floating point, in
514 big-endian byte order.
517 64-bit IBM Z architecture long format hexadecimal floating point, in
518 big-endian byte order.
520 Z architecture also supports IEEE 754 floating point. The ZS and ZL
521 formats are only for use with very old input files.
523 The default is NATIVE.
526 Interaction subcommands affect the way that PSPP interacts with an
527 online user. The interaction subcommands are
531 The maximum number of errors before PSPP halts processing of the current
532 command file. The default is 50.
535 The maximum number of warnings + errors before PSPP halts processing the
536 current command file.
537 The special value of zero means that all warning situations should be ignored.
538 No warnings will be issued, except a single initial warning advising the user
539 that warnings will not be given.
540 The default value is 100.
543 Program execution subcommands control the way that PSPP commands
544 execute. The program execution subcommands are
554 The maximum number of iterations for an uncontrolled loop (@pxref{LOOP}).
557 The initial pseudo-random number seed. Set to a real number or to
558 RANDOM, which will obtain an initial seed from the current time of day.
564 The maximum amount of memory that PSPP will use to store data being processed.
565 If memory in excess of the workspace size is required, then PSPP will start
566 to use temporary files to store the data.
567 Setting a higher value will, in general, mean procedures will run faster,
568 but may cause other applications to run slower.
569 On platforms without virtual memory management, setting a very large workspace
570 may cause PSPP to abort.
572 @cindex memory, amount used to store cases
575 Data output subcommands affect the format of output data. These
584 @anchor{CCx Settings}
586 Set up custom currency formats. @xref{Custom Currency Formats}, for
590 The default DOT setting causes the decimal point character to be
591 @samp{.}. A setting of COMMA causes the decimal point character to be
595 Allows the default numeric input/output format to be specified. The
596 default is F8.2. @xref{Input and Output Formats}.
601 PSPP extension to set the byte ordering (endianness) used for writing
602 data in IB or PIB format (@pxref{Binary and Hexadecimal Numeric
603 Formats}). In MSBFIRST ordering, the most-significant byte appears at
604 the left end of a IB or PIB field. In LSBFIRST ordering, the
605 least-significant byte appears at the left end. VAX ordering is like
606 MSBFIRST, except that each pair of bytes is in reverse order. NATIVE,
607 the default, is equivalent to MSBFIRST or LSBFIRST depending on the
608 native format of the machine running PSPP.
613 PSPP extension to set the floating-point format used for writing data in
614 RB format (@pxref{Binary and Hexadecimal Numeric Formats}). The choices
615 are the same as SET RIB. The default is NATIVE.
618 In the PSPP text-based interface, the output routing subcommands
619 affect where output is sent. The following values are allowed for
620 each of these subcommands:
625 Discard this kind of output.
628 Write this output to the terminal, but not to listing files and other
632 Write this output to listing files and other output devices, but not
637 Write this type of output to all output devices.
640 These output routing subcommands are:
644 Applies to error and warning messages. The default is BOTH.
647 Applies to notes. The default is BOTH.
650 Determines whether the syntax used for input is printed back as part
651 of the output. The default is NONE.
654 Applies to everything not in one of the above categories, such as the
655 results of statistical procedures. The default is BOTH.
658 These subcommands have no effect on output in the PSPP GUI
661 Output driver option subcommands affect output drivers' settings. These
679 Logging subcommands affect logging of commands executed to external
680 files. These subcommands are
685 These subcommands, which are synonyms, control the journal. The
686 default is ON, which causes commands entered interactively to be
687 written to the journal file. Commands included from syntax files that
688 are included interactively and error messages printed by PSPP are also
689 written to the journal file, prefixed by @samp{>}. OFF disables use
692 The journal is named @file{pspp.jnl} by default. A different name may
696 System file subcommands affect the default format of system files
697 produced by PSPP. These subcommands are
704 Whether system files created by @cmd{SAVE} or @cmd{XSAVE} are
705 compressed by default. The default is ON.
708 Security subcommands affect the operations that commands are allowed to
709 perform. The security subcommands are
713 Setting this option disables the following operations:
721 The PERMISSIONS command.
723 Pipes (file names beginning or ending with @samp{|}).
726 Be aware that this setting does not guarantee safety (commands can still
727 overwrite files, for instance) but it is an improvement.
728 When set, this setting cannot be reset during the same session, for
729 obvious security reasons.
733 @cindex encoding, characters
734 This item is used to set the default character encoding.
735 The encoding may be specified either as an encoding name or alias
736 (see @url{http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets}), or
738 If given as a locale name, only the character encoding of the
741 System files written by PSPP will use this encoding.
742 System files read by PSPP, for which the encoding is unknown, will be
743 interpreted using this encoding.
745 The full list of valid encodings and locale names/alias are operating system
747 The following are all examples of acceptable syntax on common GNU/Linux
751 SET LOCALE='iso-8859-1'.
753 SET LOCALE='ru_RU.cp1251'.
755 SET LOCALE='japanese'.
759 Contrary to the intuition, this command does not affect any aspect
760 of the system's locale.
764 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
792 @cmd{SHOW} can be used to display the current state of PSPP's execution
793 parameters. Parameters that can be changed using @cmd{SET}
794 (@pxref{SET}), can be examined using @cmd{SHOW} using the subcommand
795 with the same name. @code{SHOW} supports the following additional
802 Show all custom currency settings (CCA through CCE).
804 Show details of the lack of warranty for PSPP.
806 Display the terms of PSPP's copyright licence (@pxref{License}).
809 Specifying @cmd{SHOW} without any subcommands is equivalent to SHOW ALL.
816 SUBTITLE 'subtitle_string'.
818 SUBTITLE subtitle_string.
821 @cmd{SUBTITLE} provides a subtitle to a particular PSPP
822 run. This subtitle appears at the top of each output page below the
823 title, if headers are enabled on the output device.
825 Specify a subtitle as a string in quotes. The alternate syntax that did
826 not require quotes is now obsolete. If it is used then the subtitle is
827 converted to all uppercase.
834 TITLE 'title_string'.
839 @cmd{TITLE} provides a title to a particular PSPP run.
840 This title appears at the top of each output page, if headers are enabled
841 on the output device.
843 Specify a title as a string in quotes. The alternate syntax that did
844 not require quotes is now obsolete. If it is used then the title is
845 converted to all uppercase.