Used to read text or binary data, DATA LIST is the most fundamental data-reading command. Even the more sophisticated input methods use DATA LIST commands as a building block. Understanding DATA LIST is important to understanding how to use PSPP to read your data files.
There are two major variants of DATA LIST, which are fixed format and free format. In addition, free format has a minor variant, list format, which is discussed in terms of its differences from vanilla free format.
Each form of DATA LIST is described in detail below.