IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Extension

Dramatically Increase the Power and Capabilities of IBM SPSS Statistics

  • Overview
  • Features and Benefits

Give yourself greater flexibility by extending IBM SPSS Statistics command syntax language by using external programming languages.

Developers and end users can extend the command syntax language, introduce additional statistical functionality and access the IBM SPS Statistics engine from external applications through the IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Extension.

Expand IBM SPSS Statistics capabilities through programmability

With the IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Extension, which is included with IBM SPSS Statistics Base and any of its integrated modules, you can add new computations and procedures written in your external programming languages such as Python®, R and the .NET version of Microsoft® Visual Basic®.

This enables your organization to:

  • Extend IBM SPSS Statistics functionality. Add computations and procedures written in other programming languages.
  • Write generalized and more flexible jobs. Create generalized jobs by controlling logic based on the Variable Dictionary, procedure output (XML or datasets), case data and environment. Reusable code means data is not tied to a single program.
  • Handle errors with generated exceptions and easily determine the effectiveness of long syntax jobs
  • Utilize hundreds of standard modules for Python
  • React to results and metadata
  • Build IBM SPSS Statistics functionality into other applications
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View features and benefits

Since the IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Extension is already part of your IBM SPSS Statistics software, you can get started quickly. Just use an IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Integration Plug-In to take advantage of this advanced programmability functionality.

Getting started

Use the freeware plug-ins that SPSS Inc. has already built for Python, R, and .NET, or follow the instructions in the IBM SPSS Statistics Programmability Extension Software Developer's Kit (SDK) to build your own. You can download freeware plug-ins from the SPSS Developer Central Web site. New Programmability Integration Plug-Ins are being developed by SPSS, an IBM Company, and will be available to download at SPSS Developer Central as soon as they are ready.

SPSS Developer Central

SPSS Developer Central is the online resource for end users and software developers interested in SPSS-related programming and development. From this Web site, you can download programmability extensions and sample code, access forums and participate in discussions on programmability practices, and read in-depth articles on SPSS programmability topics.

At SPSS Developer Central, you'll also find many example libraries and syntax jobs for use with the IBM SPSS Statistics-Python Integration Plug-In. Current Python examples include:

  • Functions for simplifying the calls to the IBM SPSS Statistics backend processor for common tasks
  • Functions for working with the IBM SPSS Statistics Viewer
  • Bootstrap regression

We encourage you to visit SPSS Developer Central regularly, as new information is frequently added.