I would like to merge different SPSS files. The PAID indicates different persons. The files also contain the variable ID which indicates the moment of measurement. So ID=1 means that the data are results of measurement one (ID=2 ; measurement two etc.). However, not all data files contain the same moments of measurement.
I have already read the following post, but that has not completely answered my question: SPSS - merging files with duplicate cases of ID variable and new cases/variables
Example data files
Data file 1:
PAID ID X1 X2 X3 X4
1 1 3 4 4 5
2 1 3 4 5 6
3 1 3 4 4 6
4 1 . . . .
Data file 2:
PAID ID X5 X6 X7
1 1 1 1 2
1 2 1 2 1
2 1 1 2 2
2 2 2 2 2
3 1 1 1 1
3 2 1 . .
4 1 1 1 1
4 2 2 2 2
I want the following result:
PAID ID X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7
1 1 3 4 4 5 1 1 2
1 2 . . . . 1 2 1
2 1 3 4 5 6 1 2 2
2 2 . . . . 2 2 2
3 1 3 4 4 6 1 1 1
3 2 . . . . 1 . .
4 1 . . . . 1 1 1
4 2 . . . . 2 2 2
I think I have to use some combination of the functions add cases and add variables. However, is this possible within SPSS? And if so, how can I do this?
Thanks in advance!
This will do the job:
match files /file='path\DataFile1.sav' /file='path\DataFile2.sav'/by paid id.
Please note though, both files need to be sorted by paid id before running the match.
To demonstrate with your sample data:
*first preparing demonstration data.
DATA LIST list/paid id x1 to x4 (6f).
begin data.
1,1,3,4,4,5
2,1,3,4,5,6
3,1,3,4,4,6
4,1, , , ,
end data.
* instead of creating the data, you can can get your original data:
* get file="path\file name 1.sav".
sort cases by paid id.
dataset name DataFile1.
DATA LIST list/paid id x5 to x7 (5f).
begin data.
1,1,1,1,2
1,2,1,2,1
2,1,1,2,2
2,2,2,2,2
3,1,1,1,1
3,2,1, ,
4,1,1,1,1
4,2,2,2,2
end data.
sort cases by paid id.
dataset name DataFile2.
match files /file=DataFile1 /file=DataFile2/by paid id.
exe.
the result looks like this:
paid id x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 x7
1 1 3 4 4 5 1 1 2
1 2 1 2 1
2 1 3 4 5 6 1 2 2
2 2 2 2 2
3 1 3 4 4 6 1 1 1
3 2 1
4 1 1 1 1
4 2 2 2 2