Solution ID: 100008745 Product: SPSS Base Title: Reading Comma delimited files with quoted strings in SPSS 10.0 Description: Q. I have SPSS 10.0 for Windows. I am using the Read Text Data Wizard to read a comma delimited file. My file has quotation marks around the values between the commas. For example, the file looks like this: "1","horse","farm" Most programs automatically drop the quotation marks from around the values. However, when I use the Read Text Wizard, all of my variables are read in as string and the quotes are retained. How can I read in the file without the quotation marks? A. The Read Text Wizard in SPSS 10.0 will read everything in between each comma literally, meaning that it will consider the quotation marks as part of the data. However, the DATA LIST LIST command is designed to strip the quotation marks from the values. DATA LIST LIST can only be used through syntax, but you can use the Read Text Data Wizard to create syntax that can be modified for use with DATA LIST LIST. Modifying the Text Import Wizard Syntax: 1. Go through the Read Text Data Wizard as normal. In step six of six, select Yes under "Would you like to paste the syntax?" and then click Finish. 2. A syntax window will open, and you should see something like the following: GET DATA /TYPE = TXT /FILE = 'C:\\comma.txt' /DELCASE = LINE /DELIMITERS = "," /ARRANGEMENT = DELIMITED /FIRSTCASE = 1 /IMPORTCASE = ALL /VARIABLES = V1 A3 V2 A7 V3 A5 . CACHE. EXECUTE. 3. The DATA LIST LIST statement needs far less information than the GET DATA command. In place of GET DATA, type DATA LIST LIST. Delete the /TYPE=TXT subcommand, and remove the '/' from in front of FILE. Then delete the remaining lines of syntax, only leaving the variable names and formats. The modified syntax should now look like this: DATA LIST LIST FILE = 'C:\\comma.txt' /V1 A3 V2 A7 V3 A5 . EXECUTE. 4. The last steps before running the above syntax is to place a forward slash (/) before the first variable name and place parentheses around each of the variable formats. The names of the variables and their formats can also be changed at this point, if desired. The syntax should now look something like this: DATA LIST LIST FILE = 'C:\\comma.txt' / id (F3.0) V2 (A7) V3 (A5) . EXECUTE. 5. To run the syntax, highlight the command and then go to Run->Selection. More information on using DATA LIST can be found in the SPSS 10.0 Syntax Reference Guide, on pages 241 - 258.