Convert an SPSS file to a SAS data set

• Overview
• The PROC IMPORT procedure
• The SPSS graphical interface

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Overview

You have a couple of options for converting data from SPSS format into SAS format. From SAS, you can read SPSS files directly through the IMPORT procedure. You can also use SPSS to save data in SAS format.

The PROC IMPORT procedure

The following SAS program will read an SPSS file saved in the C: directory and store it as a temporary file in the SAS WORK library:

PROC IMPORT
  DATAFILE='c:\filename.sav'
  OUT=work.newfilename
  DBMS=SAV replace;
RUN;

To save the data as a SAS permanent file, replace work in the OUT= option with the name of a previously defined library.

The SPSS graphical interface

Open your data in SPSS. To create a SAS file, choose File, and then Save As.... Change "Save as type" to SAS v9+ Windows (*.sas7bdat), and then choose Save.