Data values (SPSS Modeler)

Data values

Using the Value mode column in the Type node settings, you can read values automatically from the data, or you can specify measures and values.

The options available in the Value mode drop-down provide instructions for auto-typing, as shown in the following table.

Table 1. Instructions for auto-typing
Option	Function
`Read`	Data is read when the node runs.
`Extend`	Data is read and appended to the current data (if any exists).
`Pass`	No data is read.
`Current`	Keep current data values.
`Specify`	You can click the gear icon at the end of the row to specify values.

Running a Type node or clicking Read Values auto-types and reads values from your data source based on your selection. You can also specify these values manually by using the Specify option and clicking the gear icon at the end of a row.

After you make changes for fields in the Type node, you can reset value information using the following buttons:

Using the Clear all values button, you can clear changes to field values made in this node (non-inherited values) and reread values from upstream operations. This option is useful for resetting changes that you may have made for specific fields upstream.
Using the Clear values button, you can reset values for all fields read into the node. This option effectively sets the Value mode column to Read for all fields. This option is useful for resetting values for all fields and rereading values and measurement levels from upstream operations.

Gray text in the Values column

In either a Type node or an import node, if the data in the Values column is shown in black text, it indicates that the values of that field have been read and are stored within that node. If no black text is present in this field, the values of that field haven't been read and are determined further upstream.

There are occasions when you can see the data as gray text. This occurs when the software can identify or infer the valid values of a field without actually reading and storing the data. This is likely to occur if you use a User Input node (because the data is defined within the node, the range of values for a field is always known, even if the values haven't been stored in the node; the values are shown in gray text until you click Read Values).

Important: If you don't instantiate the data in your flow, and your data values are shown in gray, any checking of type values that you set in the Check column is not applied.