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wtf is por?

mbostock/por — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-08-03 · repo last pushed 2016-08-25

7JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

A JavaScript tool that reads data files saved in the Portable File Format used by SPSS and PSPP statistics software, processing large files efficiently piece by piece without overwhelming memory.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Parses SPSS files
      Reads Portable File Format
      Streams large files
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Streaming parser
    Use cases
      Build data platforms
      Import survey data
      Modernize archived data
    Audience
      Founders
      Product managers
    Scope
      Single-purpose utility
      Decodes one format

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Build a web app that lets researchers upload and visualize SPSS survey data.

REASON 2

Import archived statistical files from SPSS or PSPP into a modern dashboard.

REASON 3

Process large datasets stored in the Portable File Format without running out of memory.

What's in the stack?

JavaScript

How it stacks up

mbostock/poranefzaoui/minecraft-server-managerboneskull/promwrap
Stars777
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2016-08-252020-07-21
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasymoderateeasy
Complexity2/53/52/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Wtf does this do

This is a tool that helps programs read data files saved in a special format called the Portable File Format, which is used by SPSS and PSPP, two well-known applications for statistical analysis. SPSS is widely used in academia, government, and research to store datasets for surveys, experiments, and other studies. Sometimes researchers export their data into this portable format so it can be moved between different computers or software versions. If you're building a web app or a data pipeline and need to pull information out of one of these files, you need a way to decode the format. That's what this tool does, it translates the file's contents into a form your program can use. The "streaming" part matters when you're dealing with large datasets. Instead of waiting to load an entire file into memory all at once, the parser processes the data in a continuous flow, reading piece by piece. This means even very large files can be handled without overwhelming your system's resources. The tool is written in JavaScript, so it fits naturally into projects built on that language. Who would use this? Imagine you're a founder building a platform that lets researchers upload and visualize their survey data. Or a product manager at a company that needs to import archived statistical files into a modern dashboard. If those files come from SPSS or PSPP in the portable format, this parser is the bridge that gets the data into your system. The README doesn't go into detail beyond the basic purpose, so specifics about performance, configuration options, or setup steps aren't available. The project appears to be a focused, single-purpose utility, it does one job and doesn't try to do anything beyond parsing this particular file format.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Help me install and use the por JavaScript parser to read an SPSS Portable File Format (.por) file and output the data as JSON.
Prompt 2
Write a Node.js script that uses the por streaming parser to read a large .por file piece by piece and log each row to the console.
Prompt 3
Show me how to use the por parser in a web application to let users upload an SPSS portable format file and display the data in a table.
Prompt 4
Create a data pipeline in JavaScript that uses the por parser to convert an SPSS Portable File Format file into a CSV file.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is por?

A JavaScript tool that reads data files saved in the Portable File Format used by SPSS and PSPP statistics software, processing large files efficiently piece by piece without overwhelming memory.

What language is por written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript.

Is por actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2016-08-25).

How hard is por to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is por for?

Mainly developer.

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