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4pspp-convert(1)                   PSPP Manual                  pspp-convert(1)
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NAME

9       pspp-convert - convert SPSS data files to other formats
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SYNOPSIS

12       pspp-convert [options] input output
13       pspp-convert --help | -h
14       pspp-convert --version | -v
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DESCRIPTION

17       The pspp-convert program reads input, which may be an SPSS system file,
18       an SPSS/PC+ system file, an SPSS portable file, or  an  encrypted  SPSS
19       syntax  file,  and writes it to output, performing format conversion as
20       necessary.
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22       The format of input is  automatically  detected,  when  possible.   The
23       character  encoding  of  old SPSS system files cannot always be guessed
24       correctly, and SPSS/PC+ system files do not include any  indication  of
25       their encoding.  Use -e encoding to specify the encoding in this case.
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27       By  default, the intended format for output is inferred from its exten‐
28       sion:
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30       csv
31       txt    Comma-separated value.  Each value is formatted according to its
32              variable's  print  format.   The first line in the file contains
33              variable names.
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35       sav
36       sys    SPSS system file.
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38       por    SPSS portable file.
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40       sps    SPSS syntax file.  (Only encrypted syntax files may be converted
41              to this format.)
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43       Use -O extension to override the inferred format or to specify the for‐
44       mat for unrecognized extensions.
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46       pspp-convert can convert most input formats  to  most  output  formats.
47       Encrypted  SPSS file formats are exceptions: if the input file is in an
48       encrypted format, then the output file will be  the  same  format  (de‐
49       crypted).  Options for the output format are ignored in this case.
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OPTIONS

52   General Options
53       -O format
54       --output-format=format
55              Specifies  the desired output format.  format must be one of the
56              extensions listed above, e.g. -O  csv  requests  comma-separated
57              value output.
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59       -c maxcases
60       --cases=maxcases
61              By default, all cases are copied from input to output.  Specify‐
62              ing this option to limit the number of cases written  to  output
63              to maxcases.
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65       -e charset
66       --encoding=charset
67              Overrides  the  encoding in which character strings in input are
68              interpreted.  This option is necessary because old  SPSS  system
69              files do not self-identify their encoding.
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71       -k var...
72       --keep=var...
73              Drops all variables except those listed as var, and reorders the
74              remaining variables into the specified order.
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76       -d var...
77       --drop=var...
78              Drops each var listed from the output.
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80   CSV Output Options
81       These options affect only output to .csv and .txt files.
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83       --labels
84              By default, pspp-convert writes variables' values to the output.
85              With this option, pspp-convert writes value labels.
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87       --no-var-names
88              By  default, pspp-convert writes the variable names as the first
89              line of output.  With this option, pspp-convert omits this line.
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91       --recode
92              By default, pspp-convert writes  user-missing  values  as  their
93              regular  values.  With this option, pspp-convert recodes them to
94              system-missing values (which are written as a single space).
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97       --print-formats
98              By default, pspp-convert writes numeric variables as plain  num‐
99              bers.   This  option  makes  pspp-convert honor variables' print
100              formats.
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102
103       --decimal=decimal
104              This option sets the character used as a decimal point  in  out‐
105              put.  The default is a period (.).
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108       --delimiter=delimiter
109              This  option  sets the character used to separate fields in out‐
110              put.  The default is a comma (,), unless the decimal point is  a
111              comma, in which case a semicolon (;) is used.
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114       --qualifier=qualifier
115              The  option sets the character used to quote fields that contain
116              the delimiter.  The default is a double quote (").
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118   Password Options
119       When the input file is encrypted, pspp-convert needs to obtain a  pass‐
120       word  to  decrypt it.  To do so, the user may specify the password with
121       -p (or --password), or the name of a file containing a list of possible
122       passwords with --password-list, or an alphabet of possible passwords to
123       try along with a maximum length with -a (or --password-alphabet) and -l
124       (or --password-length).  If none of these options is used, pspp-convert
125       prompts for the password.  The password options are:
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127       -p password
128       --password=password
129              Specifies the password to use to decrypt the input file.
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131              On multiuser systems, this option may not be safe because  other
132              users may be able to see the password in process listings.
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134       -a alphabet -l max-length
135       --password-alphabet=alphabet --password-length=max-length
136              These  options are an alternative to -p or --password.  They di‐
137              rect pspp-convert to search for the correct  password  from  the
138              set of all passwords of symbols from alphabet (which may contain
139              character ranges specified with -) and no more  than  max-length
140              symbols long.  For example, -a a-z -l 5 checks all possible low‐
141              ercase alphabetic passwords no more than 5 characters long.
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143              When these options are  used,  -p  may  additionally  specify  a
144              starting point for the search.
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146       --password-list=file
147              Specifies  a file to read containing a list of passwords to try,
148              one per line.  If file is -, reads from stdin.
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150   Other Options
151       -h
152       --help Prints a usage message on stdout and exits.
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154       -v
155       --version
156              Prints version information on stdout and exits.
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AUTHORS

159       Ben Pfaff.
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SEE ALSO

162       pspp-output(1), pspp(1), psppire(1).
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166PSPP                             October 2013                  pspp-convert(1)
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