*>>>>>>>>>> syntax 6:1 . COMMENT This will create a variable DATE_NUM with numbers to convert to date format or you can just type some into SPSS yourself . DATA LIST LIST / date_num (F8) . BEGIN DATA 23061995 25062001 12021963 END DATA . STRING date_txt (A9) . COMPUTE date_txt=STRING(date_num,F8.2). EXECUTE. COMPUTE date_day =NUMBER(SUBSTRING (date_txt,1,2), F8.0). COMPUTE date_month =NUMBER(SUBSTRING (date_txt,3,2), F8.0). COMPUTE date_year =NUMBER(SUBSTRING (date_txt,5,4), F8.0). EXECUTE. COMPUTE date_2 = DATE.DMY (date_day,date_month,date_year) . FORMATS date_2(EDATE10) . VARIABLE LABELS date_2 ‘date_num converted into tdate format . EXECUTE . DELETE VARABLES date_txt date_day date_month date_year . *>>>>>>>>>> syntax 6:2 . SET EPOCH = 1990 . SET EPOCH = Automatic . *>>>>>>>>>> syntax 6:3 . GET FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSSInc\SPSS16\Samples\marketvalues.sav'. COMPUTE dayofwk = XDATE.WKDAY(selldate). VARIABLE LABEL dayofwk "the day that the sale took place". VALUE LABELS dayofwk 1'Sun' 2'Mon' 3'Tue' 4'Wed' 5'Thu' 6'Fri' 7'Sat' . EXECUTE. *option for syntax 6:3 . COMPUTE dayofwk2 = XDATE.WKDAY(selldate). FORMATS dayofwk2(WKDAY2). VARIABLE LABEL dayofwk2 "the day that the sale took place". EXECUTE. *>>>>>>>>>> creating the data for syntax 6:4 and 6:5 . COMMENT This will create two date variables (date_buy & date_sell) and two time variables (time_buy & time_sell) and save as a file date_time.sav. DATA LIST LIST / date_buy(EDATE10) time_buy(TIME) date_sell(EDATE10) time_sell(TIME) . BEGIN DATA 12-Sep-08 12:25 15-Oct-08 13:30 03-Aug-07 22:10 04-Aug-07 06:40 04-Jun-06 11:05 04-Jun-06 15:05 21-May-94 06:45 25-May-94 08:20 END DATA . SAVE OUTFILE='C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\date_time.sav'. *>>>>>>>>>> syntax 6:4 . GET FILE ='C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\date_time.sav'. COMPUTE Days=DATEDIFF(date_sell, date_buy, "days"). VARIABLE LABEL Days "days between buying and selling". EXECUTE. *>>>>>>>>>> syntax 6:5 . GET FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSSInc\SPSS16\Samples\marketvalues.sav'. COMPUTE market_date=DATESUM(selldate, -marktime, "days"). VARIABLE LABEL market_date "sell date minus days on market". FORMATS market_date(ADATE10). EXECUTE. * alternative syntax to demonstate the function of the subtraction sign , this time it is ommitted prior to marktime . GET FILE='C:\Program Files\SPSSInc\SPSS16\Samples\marketvalues.sav'. COMPUTE market_date2=DATESUM(selldate, marktime, "days"). VARIABLE LABEL market_date2 "just to illustratesell date pluss days on market". FORMATS market_date2(ADATE10). EXECUTE. *>>>>>>>>>> syntax to give the date and time of the kickoff for the 2010 world cup . DATA LIST LIST / kickoff(f20) . BEGIN DATA 13495586400 END DATA . FORMATS kickoff (datetime) . SAVE OUTFILE='C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\world_cup.sav'.