inec 0.1.2
Method for accessing INEC data directly from Python

# INEC Costa Rica - Python API Module

This module is a powerful Python wrapper designed to facilitate access, exploration, and downloading of microdata from the **Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC)** of Costa Rica. It allows researchers and data analysts to interact with the institutional catalog directly from their development environment.



---

## 1. Structure & Hierarchy

The module is organized into three main levels to navigate the INEC database:

| Level | Manager Class | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Repositories** | `RepositoryManager` | High-level collections (e.g., REGENAHO, ENIG, Censos). |
| **Datasets** | `DatasetsManager` | Specific studies or surveys defined by a year or round. |
| **Variables** | `VariablesManager` | Metadata and data dictionaries for columns within a dataset. |

---

## 2. Initialization

To use this module, you must have an active account on the INEC portal.

### Obtaining your API Key
1. Go to the [INEC Profile Page](https://sistemas.inec.cr/nada5.4/index.php/auth/profile).
2. Log in with your credentials.
3. Look for the **API Key** section to generate or copy your unique token.

### Initialization
The `autofill_msg` parameter is used to automatically complete the "Purpose of Request" forms required by many datasets.

```python
from inec import INECAPI

client = INECAPI(
    api_key="YOUR_API_KEY", 
    email="your@email.com", 
    password="your_password", 
    autofill_msg='I want to analyze these variables for time-series research'
)
```

## 3. Usage Examples

Repositories (client.repositories)

```python
# List all available repositories
repo = client.repositories.show()
print(repo)

# Automatically fetch and concatenate multiple years of DBs
# (Searches the 'REGENAHO' repository between 2023 and 2025)
dataset = client.repositories.get(repositoryid='REGENAHO', start_year=2023, end_year=2025)
print(dataset)
# "DATA INTEGRITY NOTICE: Performing blind concatenation of multiple datasets. "
# "This module does not validate schema consistency, column names, or data types "
# "across different years. Please verify that variables are harmonized before analysis."
# "'_source_idno' column is created by the module for track which file produce it"
```

Datasets (client.datasets)

```python
# List all datasets
all_datasets = client.datasets.show()
print(all_datasets)

# Search for datasets within a repository
dataset = client.datasets.show(repositoryid='REGENAHO')
print(dataset)

# Download microdata using internal ID or IDNO string (you can find this ids in their website or using datasets.show() function)
df_1 = client.datasets.get(113)
df_2 = client.datasets.get("INEC-Enaho-2025")

# List resources (additional files, questionnaires, etc.) for a study
resources = client.datasets.resources(113)
print(resources)
```

Variables (client.variables)

```python
# View summary of variables for a study (very general view...)
var_summary = client.variables.show(128)
print(var_summary)

# Get full dictionary (ID, description, and documentation links) using internal ID or IDNO string
variables_1 = client.variables.dictionary("INEC-Enaho-2025")
print(variables_1)

variables_2 = client.variables.dictionary(113)
print(variables_2)
```

## 4. Key Features

- Form Autofill: If a dataset requires a justification form, the module submits it automatically using your autofill_msg.

- Automatic Parsing: Detects .sav (SPSS), .dta (Stata), .csv, and .xlsx extensions and converts them instantly to Pandas DataFrames. (some xlsx could have multiple sheets, be aware of that)

- Session Management: Automatically handles cookie expiration and retries authentication if Unauthorized error occurs.

- Data Integrity: When using repositories.get(), a _source_idno column is added to help track the origin of each row in concatenated datasets.