SPSS

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) connector bridges the gap between statistical datasets and modern analytical workflows. It allows users to query .sav files — such as survey results, research data, or exported datasets from legacy analytics environments — using standard SQL without relying on proprietary SPSS software.

At its core, the connector treats each SPSS dataset as a structured table, automatically interpreting its variable definitions, value labels, and metadata. When you query an SPSS file, the connector reads both the data and its schema, preserving column types, missing-value definitions, and categorical mappings — transforming what’s typically a closed, binary format into data your query engine can reason about.

This connector is designed for both accessibility and fidelity. With minimal configuration, you can unlock archived or externally sourced SPSS datasets for exploration and reporting. Yet, for advanced analytical needs — such as handling complex weighting, decoding multi-response sets, or reconciling variable-level metadata — you can fine-tune behavior through detailed options that control how Metaform interprets and exposes each element of the SPSS file.