Invoking PSPP
*************

     pspp [ -B DIR | --config-dir=DIR ] [ -o DEVICE | --device=DEVICE ]
            [ -d VAR[=VALUE] | --define=VAR[=VALUE] ] [-u VAR | --undef=VAR ]
            [ -f FILE | --out-file=FILE ] [ -p | --pipe ] [ -I- | --no-include ]
            [ -I DIR | --include=DIR ] [ -i | --interactive ]
            [ -n | --edit | --dry-run | --just-print | --recon ]
            [ -r | --no-statrc ] [ -h | --help ] [ -l | --list ]
            [ -c COMMAND | --command COMMAND ] [ -s | --safer ]
            [ --testing-mode ] [ -V | --version ] [ -v | --verbose ]
            [ KEY=VALUE ] FILE...

Non-option Arguments
====================

Syntax files and output device substitutions can be specified on PSPP's command line:

FILE

     A file by itself on the command line will be executed as a syntax file. If multiple files are specified, they are executed in order, as if their contents had been given in a single file. PSPP terminates after the syntax files run, unless the -i or --interactive option is given (see Language control options).

KEY=VALUE

     Defines an output device macro KEY to expand to VALUE, overriding any macro having the same KEY defined in the device configuration file.  See Macro definitions.

There is one other way to specify a syntax file, if your operating system supports it.  If you have a syntax file foobar.stat, put the notation

     #! /usr/local/bin/pspp

at the top, and mark the file as executable with chmod +x foobar.stat.  (If PSPP is not installed in /usr/local/bin, then insert its actual installation directory into the syntax file instead.)  Now you should be able to invoke the syntax file just by typing its name.  You can include any options on the command line as usual.  PSPP entirely ignores any lines beginning with #!.

Configuration Options
=====================

Configuration options are used to change PSPP's configuration for the current run.  The configuration options are:

-a {compatible|enhanced}
--algorithm={compatible|enhanced}

     If you chose compatible, then PSPP will use the same  algorithms as used by some proprietary statistical analysis packages. This is not recommended, as  these algorithms are inferior and in some cases compeletely broken. The default setting is enhanced. Certain commands have subcommands which allow you to override this setting on a per command basis.

-B DIR
--config-dir=DIR

     Sets the configuration directory to DIR.  See File locations.

-o DEVICE
--device=DEVICE

     Selects the output device with name DEVICE.  If this option is given more than once, then all devices mentioned are selected.  This option disables all devices besides those mentioned on the command line.

Input and output options
========================

Input and output options affect how PSPP reads input and writes output.  These are the input and output options:

-f FILE
--out-file=FILE

     This overrides the output file name for devices designated as listing devices.  If a file named FILE already exists, it is overwritten.

-p
--pipe

     Allows PSPP to be used as a filter by causing the syntax file to be read from stdin and output to be written to stdout.  Conflicts with the -f FILE and --file=FILE options.

-I-
--no-include

     Clears all directories from the include path.  This includes all directories put in the include path by default.  See Miscellaneous configuring.

-I DIR
--include=DIR

     Appends directory DIR to the path that is searched for include files in PSPP syntax files.

-c COMMAND
--command=COMMAND

     Execute literal command COMMAND.  The command is executed before startup syntax files, if any.

--testing-mode

     Invoke heuristics to assist with testing PSPP.  For use by make check and similar scripts.

Language control options
========================

Language control options control how PSPP syntax files are parsed and interpreted.  The available language control options are:

-i
--interactive

     When a syntax file is specified on the command line, PSPP normally terminates after processing it.  Giving this option will cause PSPP to bring up a command prompt after processing the syntax file.

     In addition, this forces syntax files to be interpreted in interactive mode, rather than the default batch mode.  See Tokenizing lines, for information on the differences between batch mode and interactive mode command interpretation.

-n
--edit
--dry-run
--just-print
--recon

     Only the syntax of any syntax file specified or of commands entered at the command line is checked.  Transformations are not performed and procedures are not executed.  Not yet implemented.

-r
--no-statrc

     Prevents the execution of the PSPP startup syntax file.

-s
--safer

     Disables certain unsafe operations.  This includes the ERASE and HOST commands, as well as use of pipes as input and output files.

Informational options
=====================

Informational options cause information about PSPP to be written to the terminal.  Here are the available options:

-h

--help

     Prints a message describing PSPP command-line syntax and the available device driver classes, then terminates.

-l

--list

     Lists the available device driver classes, then terminates.

-x {compatible|enhanced}
--syntax={compatible|enhanced}

     If you chose compatible, then PSPP will only accept command syntax that is compatible with the proprietary program SPSS. If you choose enhanced then additional syntax will be available. The default is enhanced.

-V

--version

     Prints a brief message listing PSPP's version, warranties you don't have, copying conditions and copyright, and e-mail address for bug reports, then terminates.

-v

--verbose

     Increments PSPP's verbosity level.  Higher verbosity levels cause PSPP to display greater amounts of information about what it is doing.  Often useful for debugging PSPP's configuration.

     This option can be given multiple times to set the verbosity level to that value.  The default verbosity level is 0, in which no informational messages will be displayed.

     Higher verbosity levels cause messages to be displayed when the corresponding events take place.

     1

          Driver and subsystem initializations.

     2

          Completion of driver initializations.  Beginning of driver closings.

     3

          Completion of driver closings.

     4

          Files searched for; success of searches.

     5

          Individual directories included in file searches.

     Each verbosity level also includes messages from lower verbosity levels.