Using SPSS to Understand Research and Data Analysis.

• 2.4c Saving Files in the Syntax Editor: The .SPS File extension

When you name and save files created in the Syntax Editor to a hard drive or disk, SPSS by default adds the file extension, .SPS, to these file names. That is, just as Microsoft Word adds the file extension, .doc to filenames created and saved in Word, SPSS adds the extension, .SPS, to files created and saved in the Syntax Editor.

As mentioned in our discussion of .SAV files saved from the Data Editor, it is important that you learn this file extension so that you recognize that a file name with the extension, .SPS (e.g., Example1.SPS) was created in the SPSS Syntax Editor and will automatically be opened with the Syntax Editor. This is important so that you do not confuse these with .SAV files created in the Data Editor.

To save this Syntax Editor file, select File, Save from the drop-down menu at the top of the Syntax Editor window (Figure 2.16).

Then navigate to the folder where you are keeping files for this book, and type Example1.SPS in the variable name box of the Save As box (Figure 2.17).

To view a video of this step, click Play below:

Leave this Syntax Editor window open, as we will use it to demonstrate the third major component of SPSS in the last section: the SPSS Output Viewer window.