Convert .sav(spss) file to .csv file using c#

Question

Can i Convert an spss(.sav) file to a .csv file by using C#. Here i want to browse 1 .sav file and i need to generate .csv file of the same.Can anyone provide any link or code for the conversion.

i have some 100 spss files so i need to create a console app which will take each file from the parent folder and generate the corresponding csv file for each sav file

@DanielW. Actually i don't want to open the file i have some 100 spss files so i need to create a console app which will take each file from that folder and generate the corresponding csv file in some path. — user3501613, Aug 20 '18 at 12:11
@DanielW.i don't know any library is available for this,can u help me please. — user3501613, Aug 20 '18 at 12:16
There are some ideas [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15150586/how-to-open-spss-data-files-in-excel) — Peter Smith, Aug 20 '18 at 12:18
@PeterSmith : in this they are using some online tools or software for conversion but i need some libraries which will support in c# — user3501613, Aug 20 '18 at 12:40
Why not use `Process.Start("pspp-convert", "input-sav output.csv");`? — Paul Kertscher, Aug 20 '18 at 12:44
If (and **only if**) you are fine with GPLing your code, you could have a look at PSPPs source. — Paul Kertscher, Aug 20 '18 at 12:45
You can find information about SPSS SAV files [here](http://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000469.shtml). Should be possible to forge this spec into C# code. — Paul Kertscher, Aug 20 '18 at 12:47
As @PaulKertscher says you can use PSPP in command line mode which you manage from C# — Peter Smith, Aug 20 '18 at 12:48
@PaulKertscher: Am sorry am new to c# so am not understanding what is PSPP and how can i use this for my purpose — user3501613, Aug 20 '18 at 12:52

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 20 '18 at 13:17

There are several possibilities:

1) Use a library

There seems to be a library to read SPSS files.

You can install the NuGet package SpssLib and create a SpssReader object from a FileStream

using(var fileStream = File.OpenRead("spss-file.sav"))
{
    var spssReader = new SpssReader(fileStream);
    // read variable names from spssReader.Variables and store to CSV
    // read records from spssReader.Records and store to CSV
}

2) Hand-code the solution

If you can't use the library for whatever reason, you may hand-code a solution.

2.1) Have a look at PSPP

If (and only if) you are planning (or at least fine with) releasing your code under the GPL, you can have a look at the PSPP source code. Anyway, if you can't GPL your code, Don't. Do. It. Do a clean-room implementation instead, since otherwise you'll always be on slippery grounds.

2.2) Have a look at the spec

There is a documentation of the SAV file format online. It may take some time, but you may eventually figure out how to convert this to CSV.

3) Use PSPP

If you have no problem shipping a GPLed software (or are able to download the files on demand somehow), you can make use of PSPPs console application. PSPP is a GNU replacement for SPSS, which aims at (but does not, yet) providing the funcitonality that SPSS provides. Obviously it comes with a handy little CLI tool pspp-convert (see the documentation). You can invoke it via the command line with

pspp-convert input.sav output.csv

With the help of the Process class you're able to start another process (i.e. program in this case). If pspp-convert is located in the current directory or in any directory that's in the PATH variable, converting a file to CSV is a easy as

public ConvertSpssFile(string inputFile)
{
    var outputFile = Path.ChangeExtension(inputFile, "csv");
    Process.Start("pspp-convert", $"{inputFile} {outputFile}");
}

Convert .sav(spss) file to .csv file using c#

1 Answers1

1) Use a library

2) Hand-code the solution

3) Use PSPP