When you create question with type multiple selection not support for spss syntax file

User Support Form Building
,
8

Hello @bamini , @Kal_Lam and @stephanealoo,
I think, you manually adapted some names in Excel, but not also in the SPSS Label file (like _id >> @_id), so you get log warnings for not mapping.

Our experience is to better use normal XLS (Header …) and SPSS labels export, NOT legacy (or CSV).

As Kal_Lam, we don’t encounter any problems with select_one labels:
VALUE LABELS
SexHHM
‘1’ ‘Female’
‘2’ ‘Male’

The only adaption needed is to rename internal KoBo variables with leading _ (underline) and replace the slash in the (single) columns for multiple select:
VARIABLE LABELS
WhyNotSchool ‘What is or was the Main Reason for NOT attending School?’
/WhyNotSchool_A ‘What is or was the Main Reason for NOT attending School? :: No money for school costs’
/WhyNotSchool_B ‘What is or was the Main Reason for NOT attending School? :: Supporting the family’
/WhyNotSchool_C ‘What is or was the Main Reason for NOT attending School? :: Work outside the family’

We do these textual adaptions in Excel and the SPSS label file (with simple replace function).

HINT: Pay attention:

  1. The SPSS Labels export does NOT filter (even using the new KoBo data export filter options). So, you may get more SPSS VAR labels than variables filtered/exported, resulting in a Warning on Label import (as in your example.)

  2. You may have some Labels longer than in your real (imported) data usage, like 98 for “Don’t know”. As SPSS will (first) automatically determine the variable format based on the data for ex. 1 = Yes, 2 = No (and no Don’t know case), you may want to enhance/adapt the FORMAT (You get a Warning for this choice label - see below), but only if you want to have the complete Label set imported, even the one’s not used for data (might be interesting for analysis nevertheless).
    "Warning …: The (ADD) VALUE LABELS command specifies the labeling of a value which is
    inconsistent with the type and/or the format of the variables to be labeled.
    The value and the applicable label will be ignored. …
    ‘98’ ‘Don’t know’.

  3. We generally avoid exporting with Groupname-Prefix, as you will get again the / issue. (I even think, SPSS will automatically replace / with blank for Variable names. But not for the Labels.)

Kind regards