ABET CONVERTER

ABET CONVERTER is a cross-platform command-line interface (CLI) tool for exporting data from Lafayette Instrument's ABET (Animal Behavior Environment Test) software — used to program and run behavioral experiments. Converts .ABETdb and .mdb database files into easier formats:

• SQLite
• SQL
• CSV
• XLSX

You do not need to install mdbtools yourself. ABET CONVERTER includes the needed runtime files and chooses the correct one automatically for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

What This Tool Does

Use this tool when you have an .ABETdb or .mdb file and want a file that is easier to open, inspect, or share.

For example, you can turn:

input.ABETdb

into:

input.sqlite

Install Python

You need Python 3.11 or newer.

Download Python here:

https://www.python.org/downloads/

During Python installation on Windows, enable:

Add python.exe to PATH

Install ABET Converter

Open a terminal.

On Windows, open PowerShell.

On macOS or Linux, open Terminal.

Run:

python -m pip install abet-converter

ABET CONVERTER is installed from PyPI, the official Python package website.

You do not need to choose a Windows, macOS, or Linux installer. The same Python package works on all supported systems. When you run the command, ABET CONVERTER detects your system and uses the correct bundled runtime:

• Windows: vendor/mdbtools/windows/...
• macOS: vendor/mdbtools/macos/...
• Linux: vendor/mdbtools/linux/...

Check That It Works

Run:

abet-converter --help

If you see help text, the installation worked.

If your terminal says abet-converter is not recognized or not found, the Python script directory is probably not on your PATH. Run:

python -m abet_converter doctor

To add the script directory to your user PATH, run:

python -m abet_converter path --add

Then close all PowerShell or Terminal windows, open a new one from the Start menu, and check again:

abet-converter --help

This explicit repair step is needed because Python wheels installed from PyPI cannot safely edit your system PATH during pip install. On Windows, path --show reports both the current terminal PATH and the saved Windows user PATH; the current terminal can still show no until you open a new terminal.

Convert One File

This example converts one ABET database into one SQLite file:

abet-converter --input input.ABETdb --output input.sqlite

You can replace input.ABETdb with the path to your own file.

Convert A Folder

This example converts all supported files in a folder:

abet-converter --input incoming-folder --output converted-folder --recursive

Export Other Formats

SQLite is the default format.

To export CSV files:

abet-converter --input input.ABETdb --output output-folder --format csv

To export several formats at once:

abet-converter --input input.ABETdb --output output-folder --format sqlite --format csv --format xlsx

Large XLSX Files

Excel has a row limit for each sheet.

If a database table is too large for one Excel sheet, ABET CONVERTER automatically splits that table into more sheets.

For example:

tbl_Data
tbl_Data_2
tbl_Data_3

This keeps all rows instead of silently dropping data.

Windows Notes

If this command does not work:

python -m pip install abet-converter

try:

py -m pip install abet-converter

Then check:

abet-converter --help

Windows users do not need to install extra database tools.

macOS Notes

If this command does not work:

python -m pip install abet-converter

try:

python3 -m pip install abet-converter

Then check:

abet-converter --help

macOS users do not need to install extra database tools.

Linux Notes

If this command does not work:

python -m pip install abet-converter

try:

python3 -m pip install abet-converter

Then check:

abet-converter --help

Linux users do not need to install extra database tools on supported architectures.

What Is A Coding Agent?

A coding agent is an AI tool that can help with a software project.

It can read files, explain code, run commands, edit files, run tests, and help fix errors.

You can use a coding agent even if you are not a programmer. You can ask it to do practical tasks in plain language.

Using A Coding Agent To Install Or Modify This Project

You can ask a coding agent things like:

Install this project on my computer.
Run the tests and explain any failure.
Convert this ABETdb file to SQLite.
Add a new output format.

If you want to work on the project itself, ask the agent to clone the repository, install it, run the tests, and explain the files before making changes.

Project Links

• GitHub: https://github.com/vcanonici/abet-converter
• PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/abet-converter/

Citation

If you use ABET CONVERTER in research, please cite the repository.

@software{canonici_abet_converter_2026,
  author = {Canonici, Vinicius Garcia and Pinto, Carlos},
  title = {ABET CONVERTER},
  year = {2026},
  version = {0.3.6},
  url = {https://github.com/vcanonici/abet-converter},
  note = {Cross-platform CLI to convert ABET and MDB databases into SQLite, SQL, CSV, and XLSX}
}

License

GNU GPL v3 or later