In SPSS, I don't like to recode variables into new variables: the new variables don't have any dictionary information such as variable/value labels or formats. Second, a recoded variable is appended to the end of the file but I rather have it in its original position.
Both problems are avoided by recoding into the same variables. However, I do like to compare the old and new values to see if everything went right. An easy way for doing so is first cloning a variable and then recoding the original variable into the same variable. The clone now serves as a backup to which I can compare the recoded result.
This tutorial presents a super easy tool for cloning one or many variables. It copies variables’ values plus all dictionary information (such as variable labels, value labels, user missing values and formats) from the original variables to the copies. Hence, it really “clones” variables except for their names. Give it a try. You'll love it.
How Does It Work?
- First, make sure you have the SPSS Python Essentials installed.
- Next, download and install the SPSS Clone Variables Tool. Note that this is an SPSS Extension Bundle.
- Open some data and navigate to
. - Specify the variables you'd like to clone and some prefix: the names for the cloned variables will consist of this prefix plus the original variable names. Click and run the pasted syntax.
- Clones of the variables you specified are now created in the active dataset.
- Clicking the tool's button will take you to this tutorial.
SPSS Clone Variables - Example 1
Those who want to give it a quick shot can download and open freelancers.sav. For cloning the first variable, id, we simply enter it into the first box.
We'll leave the second box unaltered. Now, clicking results in SPSSTUTORIALS CLONE VARIABLES VARIABLES ='id' PREFIX ='copy_'. Upon running this line of syntax, a new variable called copy_id appears in our data. Except for its name, it's an exact clone of its original counterpart, including its variable label.
SPSS Clone Variables - Example 2
Now let's clone the next two variables, gender and birthday. We can now copy-paste the line of syntax we just pasted and simply change it to SPSSTUTORIALS CLONE VARIABLES VARIABLES ='gender birthday' PREFIX ='copy_'. After running it, note that copy_birthday is a date variable just like its original counterpart.
SPSS Clone Variables - Example 3
Finally, we can clone an entire section of variables by using SPSS’ TO keyword. For instance, we can clone source_2010 through source_2014 by running SPSSTUTORIALS CLONE VARIABLES VARIABLES = 'source_2010 to source_2014' PREFIX ='copy_'.
It's as easy as that. I hope you'll like this tool as much as I do.
Thanks for reading!
SPSS Recode Values with Value Labels
SPSS String Variables Basics
This tutorial has 22 comments
By Ruben Geert van den Berg on December 20th, 2017
Hi Jon!
The tool relies heavily on APPLY DICTIONARY. However, APPLY DICTIONARY can't copy-paste dictionary information from many to many variables in one dataset so the tool kinda speeds that up by spss.Submit-ting one command for each variable.
Also, if one or many string variables are entered, the tool throws in the required STRING commands with the right lengths.
So in short, whatever variable types/formats, the tool clones everything with a single line of syntax. I shouldn't say it but I really like this one myself actually.
By Jon Peck on December 20th, 2017
Note that there are two other built-in tools with related functionality. APPLY DICTIONARY can copy selected metadata from one variable to another in the same or a different dataset. And the Visual Binner can collapse variables while generating appropriate metadata.
By Catherine on August 29th, 2016
Super! I didn't know the difference between these two types of variables. They were indeed string variables. I could therefore convert them into numeric variables and make the desired operations. Heel erg bedankt!