What’s New in SPSS 16.0: SPSS Base
In addition to a new interface, SPSS 16.0 offers expanded analytical capabilities and programmability enhancements, enhanced data management and reporting capabilities, and greater performance through multithreaded algorithms.

Find everything about the new version on the SPSS website

To find out the availability of SPSS 16.0 in your area, contact your local office.

However, to use SPSS 15.0 under Vista, you do need to install the SPSS 15 Windows Vista HOTFIX. You need to login to download this hotfix. You can login with your own username and password, or use:

username: guest
password: guest

On the download page you can also find instructions on installation of the hotfix.

We decided to launch a forum to enable other experts in SPSS to help you out, and to balance the “workload”. The only downside to a new forum is that it is empty. So that’s why we invite you to be the first one to post your questions or tips on SPSS on the forum. No registration required!

“Hello, I need to essentially combine two variables that have been
standardized into one new variable.  Data that is present in one variable
is missing on the other and vice versa.  I tried making a new variable and
then recoding missing data so it would pull in the values from the other
variable.  Can you only recode missing values into numbers, or can I pull
an entirely different variable into it?  Basically, how do I combine two
variables into one?  Is there an easier way? Thanks!”

Well, there certainly is an easier way to combine two variables. Let’s assume you have the variables VAR00001 and VAR00002 which you want to combine into one new variable. We also assume that they do not have overlapping records, with which I mean that there is no record which has a value in both variables. To combine the two, you can use the following SPSS Syntax:

COMPUTE NEW_VAR = VAR00001.
IF (VAR00002 = 4) NEW_VAR = 4 .
IF (VAR00002 = 5) NEW_VAR = 5 .
IF (VAR00002 = 6) NEW_VAR = 6 .
EXECUTE .

The first part (COMPUTE NEW_VAR = VAR00001.) creates the new variable and copies all values from  VAR00001 into the new variable. The second part copies the values from VAR00002 to the new variable, for the values 4, 5 and 6. Very probably, your second variable contains different values, so adjust the Syntax to your needs.

When using transfor/compute - say to create a construct from a set of Likert
Scale items - does SPSS save the formula used to create the new variable, or
is it lost once you compute?

SPSS does not save the formula in your data file. It does keep the formula in mind if you keep SPSS open. So if you want to use the same formula again, but than with different variables for example, you can open the Compute screen again, and there your old formula is. But if you close SPSS and open it again, the formula will be gone.

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“I’m having problems to recode system missing values to 0 with syntax
editor. How can I do that?”

In SPSS Syntax, missing values can be addressed via the keywords “sysmis” or “missing”. For this explanation we assume that in addition to the values 1 and 2, there are also values 3 and 4 which are defined as missing values. Please find some syntax below and an explanation of what they do. var2 stands for the variable name we are recoding.

RECODE var2 (missing = 3).

All missing values (i.e., values 3 and 4 and perhaps also system missing values) will have the value 3. 3 will still be defined as missing.

RECODE var2 (missing = 15).

All missing values (i.e., values 3 and 4 and perhaps also system missing values) will have the value 15. 15 will not be defined as missing.

If you have system missing values and want to recode only these to another value, you can use the keyword “sysmis” instead of “missing”.

RECODE var2 (sysmis = 6).

Again, if you have defined values 3 and 4 as missing, 6 will not be recognized as a (formerly) missing value. You may wish to either define 6 now as missing or to assign a value label that tells you the meaning of 6.

Data:
Audi      BMW    Benz
——-  ——- ——–
1          2          3
2          3          1
3          1          2

1- Most often    

2-Second most often

3-least often

*** The following syntax will recode the respondent’s opinion into new variable rank1, 2 and 3.
IF (Audi =1) Rank1 = 1.
IF (BMW =1) Rank1 = 2.
IF (Benz =1) Rank1 = 3.
Execute.
IF (Audi =2) Rank2 = 1.
IF (BMW =2) Rank2 = 2.
IF (Benz =2) Rank2 = 3.
Execute.
IF (Audi =3) Rank3 = 1.
IF (BMW =3) Rank3 = 2.
IF (Benz =3) Rank3 = 3.
Execute.
Variable label
Rank1 ‘Most Often’
Rank2 ‘Second Most Often’
Rank3 ‘Least Often’.
Value label Rank1 Rank2 Rank3
1 “Audi”
2 “BMW”
3 “Benz”.
After using this syntax we will get the new variables like in this way,

Rank1   Rank2   Rank3
——-  ——   ——–
Audi      BMW    Benz
Benz     Audi     BMW
BMW     Benz    Audi

Thanks,

Lawrence.

The following link is the simple example for recoding in SPSS and it’s explaining the purpose also. After reading this content, I welcome more discussion on this. At the end all the SPSS Log users will get more information about recoding in SPSS with more examples. In SPSS we have two different method of recoding (Recode into same variable and Recode into Different variable). We will discuss the features and utilization of these two functions from different applications. 

www.cariboo.bc.ca/ae/geography/courses/270/softwareguides/recodingspss.pdf

Thanks,

Lawrence

Source: SPSS