4.7 Files Used by PSPP
PSPP makes use of many files each time it runs. Some of these it
reads, some it writes, some it creates. Here is a table listing the
most important of these files:
- command file
- syntax file
- These names (synonyms) refer to the file that contains instructions
that tell PSPP what to do. The syntax file's name is specified on
the PSPP command line. Syntax files can also be pulled in with
INCLUDE (see INCLUDE).
- data file
- Data files contain raw data in ASCII format suitable for being read in
by DATA LIST. Data can be embedded in the syntax
file with BEGIN DATA and END DATA: this makes the
syntax file a data file too.
- listing file
- One or more output files are created by PSPP each time it is
run. The output files receive the tables and charts produced by
statistical procedures. The output files may be in any number of formats,
depending on how PSPP is configured.
- active file
- The active file is the “file” on which all PSPP procedures
are performed. The active file contains variable definitions and
cases. The active file is not necessarily a disk file: it is stored
in memory if there is room.