title: SPSS: Import "Stacked" Text-Datafile
body: <p>I have an ascii data file with the following layout:</p>
  
  <pre><code>year    var1    var2    var3
  1995    asdf    asdf    asdf
  1996    asdf    asdf    asdf
  1997    asdf    asdf    asdf
  1998    asdf    asdf    asdf
  1999    asdf    asdf    asdf
  
  
  year    var4    var5
  1995    asdf    asdf
  1996    asdf    asdf
  1997    asdf    asdf
  1998    asdf    asdf
  1999    asdf    asdf
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Obviously the values are different, and numeric, but this should illustrate the point.</p>
  
  <p>Basically, my variables are 'stacked' in blocks of 24 lines (1972-1995) each. What is the easiest way to import them into SPSS? I do have variable names as headers over every block and year-info for every line. Maybe if someone could tell me how this specific format is called (and even why one would ever use it!), I can properly google it...</p>
  
  <p>Thanks, any help is appreciated!</p>