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Re:
From: |
John Darrington |
Subject: |
Re: |
Date: |
Sat, 27 Sep 2014 08:33:48 +0200 |
User-agent: |
Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) |
Thanks for the feedback. We're always open to suggestions on how to improve
PSPP.
However "improvements" have to be made bearing in mind the following:
1. PSPP is supposed to be a free replacement for SPSS - that is to say, it
caters for
persons who are already familiar with or are compelled to become familiar with
(eg students) how SPSS works. Moreever, programs and data files which SPSS
accepts,
should be accepted by PSPP.
2. "One Click" solutions to a problem are always possible, but the solution can
only
be applicable to one problem. There are thousands of users - each of whom have
their
own individial problems. We could only provide a "One Click" solution to them
all,
by providing a screen with thousands of buttons - even if that were feasible,
the
problem description would not fit on the button. We would have to write a very
complicated
user manual to explain to the user *which* button to click for *which* problem.
Most difficulties in statistics hinge from a lack of understanding of the
problem, and
that cannot be solved except by teaching and practice. Once the problem is
understood,
users invariably want a solution to about ten slightly different problems.
Rather than
ten extra buttons to click, the practised user prefers a way in which they can
express
their problem such that the machine and the user understands - in other words,
a
computer language. I do not pretend that the PSPP/SPSS syntax is the most
expressive
or elegant language for this purpose, but see 1. above.
J'
On Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 12:29:25PM -0400, Larry Gray wrote:
Thank you for the info. I am differently in over my head on this program
and was hoping for a simple (1 click) solution. I can follow your
suggestion and make it work. I have created a new column with only the
info I wanted to break out. That has worked but it is a lot of extra
steps. Thanks again.
Larry
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