IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for

Python: Installation Instructions for

Windows
The following instructions are for installing IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python on
Windows operating systems.

Overview
IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python provides you with tools you need to start
developing custom Python applications for use with IBM® SPSS® Statistics. It includes the
following:

E Python version 2.7

E The IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Integration Plug-in for Python for SPSS Statistics 21

E A set of custom procedures, implemented in Python, for use in SPSS Statistics

Install the IBM SPSS Statistics application

IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python is designed for the following applications:
„ IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows
„ IBM SPSS Statistics Server for Windows
There are no additional operating system and hardware requirements. The components installed
with Essentials for Python work with any valid IBM® SPSS® Statistics license.
If you have not already done so, follow the instructions provided with the software to install one
of the SPSS Statistics applications on the computer where you will install Essentials for Python.
If you are installing Essentials for Python on a desktop machine, install SPSS Statistics 21 on
the desktop machine. If you are installing Essentials for Python on a server machine, install
SPSS Statistics Server 21 on the server machine.

Install IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python

Note: It is not necessary to uninstall previous versions of IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials
for Python before installing a newer version.
Version 21 of Essentials for Python will launch the installer for Python 2.7 if Python 2.7 is not
detected on the current machine.
For users who are working in distributed mode (with IBM® SPSS® Statistics Server) please
install Essentials for Python on both the client and server machines. If you installed the 32-bit
version of SPSS Statistics Server then install the 32-bit version of Essentials for Python on the
© Copyright IBM Corporation 1989, 2012. 1
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IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python: Installation Instructions for Windows

server machine. If you installed the 64-bit version of SPSS Statistics Server then install the 64-bit
version of Essentials for Python on the server machine.

Installing from a Downloaded File

Windows XP

E Double-click the downloaded file and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008

You must run the installer as administrator:

E Using Windows Explorer, browse to the folder where you downloaded the file.

E Right-click the downloaded file and choose Run as Administrator.

E Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Installing from the DVD/CD

Windows XP

E Insert the DVD/CD into your DVD/CD drive. The AutoPlay feature presents a menu.

E On the AutoPlay menu, click the entry for IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python, and then
follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008

You must run the AutoPlay as administrator:

E Close the AutoPlay window that automatically appeared when you inserted the DVD/CD into
your DVD/CD drive.

E Using Windows Explorer, browse to the DVD/CD drive. The installers for the 32-bit and
64-bit versions of IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python are located under the
Windows/Programmability/Python Essentials directory.

E Browse to the appropriate subdirectory, right-click the .exe file and choose Run as Administrator.
Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Pushing an installation
As an alternative to the manual installation described above you can push the installation to
Windows computers. This is most useful for network administrators who need to install to
multiple end users.
Note: In order to push the installation, Python 2.7 must already be installed on the target machine.
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IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python: Installation Instructions for Windows

Following is the form of the command line for pushing an installation:

<installer_name> /S /v/qn

where <installer_name> is the name of the installer file for IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials
for Python—for example: SPSS_Statistics_PythonEssentials_21000_win32.exe.
Note: If you’re installing from the DVD/CD, the installer files are located under the
Windows/Programmability/Python Essentials directory.

Before you start using the IBM SPSS Statistics - Integration Plug-in
for Python
After you install IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python, you will be able to start
developing Python applications with the IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Integration Plug-in for Python.
Complete documentation for the plug-in is available from the topic “Integration Plug-in for
Python” in the IBM® SPSS® Statistics Help system. It is also available as two separate PDF’s
(one for each of the two interfaces installed by the plug-in) from Programmability > Python
Plug-in and Programmability > Scripting on the SPSS Statistics Help menu.

Download and install auxiliary Python modules for IBM SPSS Statistics
IBM SPSS has created a number of Python modules that build on, and in some cases extend, the
functionality provided with the IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Integration Plug-in for Python. These
modules are optional and require the Integration Plug-in for Python in order to function. The
modules spssdata, spssaux, namedtuple, and extension are included with IBM® SPSS® Statistics
- Essentials for Python. Additional modules are available for download from the SPSS community
at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/spssdevcentral.
You may want to read the article How to Use Downloaded Python Modules, also available from
the SPSS community. In addition, you may need to download updated versions of auxiliary
modules to take advantage of the new features available with IBM® SPSS® Statistics 21. Check
the SPSS community for updates.

Running multiple versions of IBM SPSS Statistics and the IBM SPSS
Statistics - Integration Plug-in for Python
You can have multiple versions of IBM® SPSS® Statistics on a single machine along with a
separate version of the IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Integration Plug-in for Python for each. For
information on working with multiple versions, see the documentation for the plug-in.

Repairing an installation
If you uninstall and then reinstall the IBM® SPSS® Statistics 21 application or Python 2.7, then
please uninstall and reinstall version 21 of IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python.
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IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python: Installation Instructions for Windows

Uninstalling IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python components

E Uninstall IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python 21 from the Windows Control Panel.

E Uninstall Python version 2.7 from the Windows Control Panel, if desired.

Custom Python procedures packaged with Essentials for Python

IBM® SPSS® Statistics - Essentials for Python includes a set of custom procedures, implemented
in Python, that provide functionality beyond what is available with built-in SPSS Statistics
procedures. All custom procedures, except for FUZZY, are available from the SPSS Statistics
menus, once Essentials for Python is installed. All custom procedures (including FUZZY)
are available from SPSS Statistics command syntax. The following table provides the menu
location, the associated command name, and a brief summary for each of the custom procedures.
Commands are run in the same manner as any built-in command such as FREQUENCIES.
Menu location Command name Description
none FUZZY Perform exact or fuzzy case-control
matching.
File>Collect Variable GATHERMD Build a dataset of variable information from
Information multiple datasets.
Data>Compare Datasets SPSSINC COMPARE DATASETS Compare two open datasets.
Transform>Create Dummy SPSSINC CREATE DUMMIES Create a set of dummy variables representing
Variables the values of a variable.
Utilities>Merge Viewer Tables SPSSINC MERGE TABLES Merge the contents of one pivot table in the
Viewer into another.
Utilities>Modify Output Titles SPSSINC MODIFY OUTPUT Modify output titles.
Utilities>Modify Table SPSSINC MODIFY TABLES Modify the appearance of pivot tables.
Appearance
Transform>Programmability SPSSINC TRANS Apply a Python function to case data.
Transformation
Analyze>Descriptive SPSSINC TURF Perform a TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach
Statistics>TURF Analysis and Frequency) analysis.
Graphs>Regression Variable STATS REGRESS PLOT Plots useful in assessing regression
Plots relationships.
Graphs>Compare Subgroups STATS SUBGROUP PLOTS Graphically compare the distributions of a
set of variables across a partition of the data.

Notes
„ Help for each of the procedures accessible from the menus is available from the Help button
on the associated dialog box. The help is not, however, integrated with the SPSS Statistics
Help system.
„ Complete syntax help for each of the commands listed above is available by executing the
command and including the /HELP subcommand—for example:
SPSSINC COMPARE DATASETS /HELP.

The command syntax help is not, however, integrated with the SPSS Statistics Help system
and is not included in the Command Syntax Reference.
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IBM SPSS Statistics - Essentials for Python: Installation Instructions for Windows

„ If the Analyze>Descriptive Statistics menu is not present in your IBM® SPSS® Statistics
product, then please look on the Custom menu for the TURF analysis dialog.
„ The dialogs were created with the Custom Dialog Builder in SPSS Statistics. You can view
the design for any of the dialogs and/or customize them using the Custom Dialog Builder,
available from Utilities>Custom Dialogs>Custom Dialog Builder. To view the design for a
dialog, choose File>Open Installed from within the Custom Dialog Builder.
„ The syntax commands are implemented as extension commands. The implementation code
(Python modules) and XML specification files for these extension commands can be found in
the extensions directory under the SPSS Statistics installation directory.
If you have specified alternate locations for extension commands with the
SPSS_EXTENSIONS_PATH environment variable then the files will be located in the first
writable location in that variable instead of in the extensions directory.
„ Other extension commands that are not included in Essentials for Python are available for
download from the SPSS community. Newer versions of the Python procedures packaged
with Essentials for Python may also be available there.