Developer Documentation Library > Data Model > Available DSCs > SPSS Statistics SAV DSC > Writing to an SPSS Statistics .sav file > Variable definitions when writing to a .sav file
 
Variable definitions when writing to a .sav file
The following table shows how the SPSS Statistics SAV DSC maps UNICOM Intelligence Metadata Model (MDM) variable types to IBM SPSS Statistics variable types when writing a .sav file.
MDM variable type
IBM SPSS Statistics variable type
IBM SPSS Statistics alignment
IBM SPSS Statistics measurement
Single-response categorical
Numeric 1.0
Right
Nominal
Multiple-response categorical
Multiple set of numeric 1.0 variables
Right
Nominal
Long
Numeric n.0, where n (width) is 8 or greater
Right
Scale
Double
Numeric n.2 where n (width) is 8 or greater
Right
Scale
Text
String
Left
Nominal
Date
Date (DATETIME format)
Right
Scale
Boolean
Numeric 1.0
Right
Nominal
Note that you can control an IBM SPSS Statistics variable's alignment by using the Alignment property (see Properties and settings used by the SPSS Statistics SAV DSC), and an IBM SPSS Statistics variable's measurement by using the Measurement property.
The remainder of this topic describes the mapping of variable types in more detail.
See also
Single-response categorical variables
Multiple-response categorical variables
Non-categorical variables
Long variables
Double variables
Text variables
Date variables
Boolean variables
Variables that have codes lists
Writing to an SPSS Statistics .sav file