I have a survey which has two languages:
- Base language: German
- Additional language: English

I want to export the results with SPSS. When I change the language of user and export the data, the results are still in german, but I'd like to have them in English.

I couldn't find where to select the export language.

Am I restricted to base language while exporting SPSS?
Could you please tell me how I can export data to SPSS in the additional language of the survey?

Afaik the export is limited to the base language and there is no easy way to change the base language.

Ideally you chose the base language on the most important language, which in your case actually seems to be English, not German.

Maybe someone here knows a way how to change the base language.

Hi Firrdess,

one possibility is changing the base language directly in the database (if you are authorized). But I take no responsibility for doing this. Maybe you want do this only with a copy of the original survey. I guess you only need the syntax for SPSS and you can then take the (german) original .dat file.

Following steps I would do:
1) Copy the survey (remember the new Survey_ID)
2) Go into your database via (phpMyadmin / mysql?)
3) search for the database ..._surveys, in this there are the settings for each survey
4) In the row of your new Survey_ID change there "language" de to en and in additional_languages en to de
5) Go to limesurvey save/open the syntax. This syntax should have the labels in English and you can use it with the "german" .dat file from the original survey.
(6) Maybe you want delete the copied survey)

Best regards
Stefan

holch wrote: Afaik the export is limited to the base language and there is no easy way to change the base language.
…

Why SPSS export is not a plugin … then can be easily fixed an improved

Other question: Why is the base language fixed and cannot be switched via GUI?

jelo wrote: Other question: Why is the base language fixed and cannot be switched via GUI?

Because updating CORE is less easy than updating plugin

For these export features I could see a plugin approach. However, it would have to be a Core Plugin that is released to together with the Limesurvey Core, because otherwise there will be weeks/months without export availability.

holch wrote: For these export features I could see a plugin approach. However, it would have to be a Core Plugin that is released to together with the Limesurvey Core, because otherwise there will be weeks/months without export availability.

Export API is strong enough :
www.limesurvey.org/community/forums/desi...oice-question#180676

The main obstacle is that none of the developers has a SPSS license to develop and check for issues. Other survey-tools export directly as SAV and rename variables inside the survey application. E.g. help.surveygizmo.com/help/spss

A PHP library for reading and writing SPSS / PSPP .sav data files
github.com/tiamo/spss

SAV
www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000469.shtml

jelo wrote: The main obstacle is that none of the developers has a SPSS license to develop and check for issues.

Frederik ( www.limesurvey.org/about-limesurvey/team-contributors ) as "IBM Certified Specialist – SPSS Statistics" should have SPSS at his fingertips. So there is SPSS knowhow inside the LimeSurvey team.