Solução para a leitura de files do SPSS no HLM 5.05

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The problem you have encountered is one of those things that tend to happen with new releases of statistical software packages - a new version's data format usually differs slightly from that of the previous version (especially with SPSS), and other programs such as HLM may or may not have problems reading the new format. Currently, the two programs giving problems are SPSS 11.5/12 and the SAS *.7bdat formats.

HLM can read SPSS data in one of two ways - either using its own code (associated with the file type "SPSS for Windows" in the Make SSM dialogbox) or by using the third-party software DBMSCOPY to do so (associated with the file type "Anything Else" in the Make SSM dialog box). HLM 6 was released in early October 2004, so we do not plan on offering a service release to fix this problem currently. Of course, HLM 6 can read the latest versions of all the main software packages.

For now, the only solution to using SPSS 11.5/12 files in HLM 5 is with a workaround: instead of setting the Files of Type drop-down list box to SPSS, set it to Anything Else. When browsing for a file, you will be prompted via a standard Windows "Open" dialog box. Set the file type at the bottom to "SPSS for Windows (sav)" and browse for the file you want to use. Note that the sav file will now be shown as having a "spsswin" extension in the level-1/level-2 data file name field. This is fine. You can now proceed to make the SSM file in the usual way.

When using this approach, two other things may be confusing. First of all, in some cases you may get a query concerning format after browsing and selecting the data file. Should this happen, simply click OK to return to the HLM Make SSM dialog box and proceed as usual. The second thing that may need to be checked is that the path pointing to DBMSCOPY from within HLM is correct. To check/change this, select the Files, Preferences option from the main HLM menu and reset the path to the file indata7.dll which is in the DBMSCOPY subfolder of the HLM 5 installation folder.

If this approach gives you trouble, another workaround would be to export the data files from SPSS in another format such as, for example, Microsoft Excel files. Then, use the "Any Other" option from the dropdown list box on the HLM SSM or MDM dialog box to import the files into HLM 5.05.

Regards,

Mathilda du Toit

SSI

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