CODEWITHSUNDEEP
spss
San
San

Reputation: 183

error incorrect variable name or not defined by previous command in SPSS (using syntax)

My syntax worked perfectly fine, but after closing SPSS and opening the dataset again I get the error 4285. I would appreciate if you help me to understand why it is happening.

My dataset looks like this:

University  School
TU          LE
SL          LO
RT          KS

I need to create a new variable "Education" with data from the variable "University"(0) and "School"(1).

Syntax that I have written:

DATASET NAME dataset1.
DATASET ACTIVATE dataet1.
IF University = "TU" Education = 0.
IF School = "LO" Education = 1.
IF University = "RT" Education = 0.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 3011

Answers (1)

LuizZ
LuizZ

Reputation: 1044

First: there is a mistake in the name of the dataset in the code you pasted/wrote here. When you called the command DATASET ACTIVATE you wrote dataet1, instead of dataset1. You are missing the letter "s". Check if this mistake is also in your code.

Second: your code works fine with your data, I tested here and got the right output.

Third: Probably you have multiple datasets open and you are naming and referring to the wrong one. I also tested for that and I got the same error code you had:

IF University = "TU" Education = 0. 
 
>Error # 4285 in column 4.  Text: University 
>Incorrect variable name: either the name is more than 64 characters, or it is 
>not defined by a previous command. 
>Execution of this command stops. 
IF School = "LO" Education = 1.

I would suggest that you save properly and close all open datasets. Then open just the dataset you want and run the code again.

Fourth: one way to avoid such mistakes is by naming properly the dataset at the moment you open it, preferably with a name that makes sense to you. For example, you can name this one as Educ_data:

GET
  FILE='C:\Data\Universities.sav'.
DATASET NAME Educ_data WINDOW=FRONT.

By doing so, you:

  • Just use the command DATASET NAME when you open or create a new dataset, and never again while manipulating data. This way you avoid assigning the wrong name to the last dataset you viewed. If you are not creating or opening a new dataset, you just use DATASET ACTIVATE.
  • Are less likely to get confused when working with multiple datasets, because each of them has a meaningful name.

Upvotes: 2

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