Skills-for-architects csv-to-sif

Convert a CSV or Excel FF&E product list to SIF (Standard Interchange Format) for dealer and procurement systems.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/AlpacaLabsLLC/skills-for-architects

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/AlpacaLabsLLC/skills-for-architects "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/plugins/06-materials-research/skills/csv-to-sif" ~/.claude/skills/alpacalabsllc-skills-for-architects-csv-to-sif && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: plugins/06-materials-research/skills/csv-to-sif/SKILL.md

source content

/csv-to-sif — CSV to SIF Converter

Converts a CSV, Excel, or Google Sheets product list into a SIF (Standard Interchange Format) file for import into dealer and procurement systems like Hedberg, CAP, CET, Cyncly Worksheet, ProjectMatrix, Studio Webware, and Design Manager.

When to Use

Sending a specification to a dealer for quoting
Importing product data into a dealer management system
Sharing a standardized product list with procurement
Converting an FF&E schedule into a format dealers expect

SIF Format Reference

SIF is a text-based key-value format. Each line is

CODE=VALUE

, terminated by CRLF. Products are separated by records starting with

PN=

Core fields

Code	Name	Required	Description
`SF`	Specification File	No	Project reference (header, once per file)
`ST`	Specification Title	No	Display title (header, once per file)
`PN`	Product Number	Yes	SKU or model number. Marks the start of a new record.
`PD`	Product Description	Yes	Product name and description
`MC`	Manufacturer Code	Yes	3-5 character code (HMI, KNL, STC)
`MN`	Manufacturer Name	No	Full manufacturer name
`QT`	Quantity	Yes	Integer quantity
`NT`	Quantity (alt)	No	Some systems use NT instead of QT
`GC`	Category / Group Code	No	Product category
`G0`	Vendor / Group ID	No	Vendor or dealer identifier

Pricing fields

Code	Name	Description
`PL`	List Price	Unit list price (numeric, no currency symbol)
`P1`	Price Tier 1	Primary price (some systems use P1 instead of PL)
`P2`	Price Tier 2	Alternate price tier
`P4`	Price Tier 4	Alternate price tier
`P5`	Price Tier 5	Alternate price tier
`I1`	Unit List Price (Cyncly)	Used by Cyncly Worksheet
`I2`	Purchase Price (Cyncly)	Used by Cyncly Worksheet
`S-` / `S%`	Sell Discount %	Sell = PL - (PL × S- × 0.01)
`P%` / `B%`	Purchase/Buy %	Cost = PL × (P% × 0.01)

Product detail fields

Code	Name	Description
`TG`	Side Mark / Tag	Room name, area code, or project tag
`ON`	Option Number	Must pair with OD
`OD`	Option Description	Finish, fabric, color selection
`AN`	Attribute Number	Must pair with AD
`AD`	Attribute Description	Dimension, weight, or other attribute
`WT`	Weight	Product weight
`VO`	Volume	Product volume
`PRC`	Product Category (Cyncly)	Category for Cyncly Worksheet

Link fields

Code	Name	Description
`ProductURL`	Product Page URL	Link to manufacturer product page
`ImageURL`	Product Image URL	Link to product image
`PV`	Picture Path	Windows bitmap or TIF file path

Alternate manufacturer codes (by system)

System	Code	Purpose
Standard	`MC`	3-5 char manufacturer code
Cyncly Worksheet	`MG`	Manufacturer code (replaces MC)
Cyncly Worksheet	`MN`	Full manufacturer name
CET / Configura	`EC`	Manufacturer code (alt)

File structure example

SF=Project Alpha - FF&E Specification
ST=FF&E Schedule — March 2026
PN=670
PD=Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
MC=HMI
MN=Herman Miller
GC=Seating
QT=3
PL=5695.00
WT=92
TG=Executive Lounge
OD=Santos Palisander / Black MCL Leather
AN=DIM
AD=32.75W x 32.5D x 33.5H in
ProductURL=https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/lounge-seating/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman/
ImageURL=https://www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hmicom/page_assets/products/eames_lounge_chair_and_ottoman/mh_prd_ovw_eames_lounge_chair_and_ottoman.jpg

PN=164-500
PD=Saarinen Round Dining Table 54"
MC=KNL
MN=Knoll
GC=Tables
QT=1
PL=4750.00
TG=Dining Area
OD=Arabescato Marble Top / White Base
AN=DIM
AD=54dia x 28.5H in

Rules

Each line is one field:
```
CODE=VALUE
```
Lines terminated by CRLF
Blank line between records
```
PN
```
starts a new record — must come first in each record
```
ON
```
/
```
OD
```
and
```
AN
```
/
```
AD
```
pairs must stay together
No embedded line breaks within a field value
Empty values use
```
CODE=
```
with nothing after the equals sign

Step 1: Accept Input

CSV file:

/csv-to-sif ~/Documents/project/product-data-import.csv

Google Sheet:

/csv-to-sif 1FMScYW9guezOWc_m4ClTQxxFIpS6TNRr373R-MJGzgE

Pasted CSV:

/csv-to-sif
Product,Brand,SKU,Qty,Price,Finish,Room
Eames Lounge Chair,Herman Miller,670,3,5695,Walnut/Black Leather,Executive Lounge
Saarinen Table 54,Knoll,164-500,1,4750,Arabescato/White,Dining

Step 2: Choose Target System

Ask which dealer system the SIF file is for (affects which field codes to use):

Target system:
1. Standard (Hedberg, CAP, ProjectMatrix) — default
2. CET / Configura (SPEC)
3. Cyncly Worksheet (CAPSIF)
4. Design Manager

Default to Standard if not specified. The main differences:

Standard: MC for manufacturer, PL for price, QT for quantity
CET: EC for manufacturer, standard pricing
Cyncly: MG/MN for manufacturer, I1/I2 for pricing, PRC for category
Design Manager: Standard + DXSC, DXBD, DXLC, DXLN extensions

Step 3: Map Columns

Auto-detect column mappings from header names:

CSV Column (common names)	SIF Field
Product Name, Name, Description, Product	PD
SKU, Model, Part Number, Product Number	PN
Brand, Manufacturer	MC + MN
Qty, Quantity, Count	QT
Price, List Price, Unit Price	PL
Finish, Color, Configuration	OD
Room, Location, Area, Tag, Side Mark	TG
Category	GC
Weight	WT
Discount, Discount %	S-
URL, Product URL, Link	ProductURL
Image, Image URL	ImageURL
W, D, H (dimensions)	AD (with AN=DIM)

If using the master 33-column schema (defined in

../../schema/product-schema.md

See

../../schema/sif-crosswalk.md

for the full column-to-SIF mapping. Key fields:

Column	SIF Field
A (Category)	GC
B (Brand)	MC + MN
E (Product Name)	PD
I (SKU)	PN
J (Link)	ProductURL
L-P (W, D, H, Seat H, Unit)	AD (with AN=DIM)
Q (Weight)	WT
R (Materials)	AD (with AN=MAT)
S (Colors/Finishes)	OD (with ON=FIN)
T (Selected Color/Finish)	OD (primary, replaces S if present)
U (List Price)	PL
AC (Image URL)	ImageURL
AD (Tags)	TG

If the mapping is ambiguous, ask the user to confirm.

Manufacturer code lookup

Convert full brand names to standard 3-5 character codes:

Brand	MC Code	Brand	MC Code
Herman Miller	HMI	Blu Dot	BLU
MillerKnoll	MKN	Design Within Reach	DWR
Knoll	KNL	Fritz Hansen	FRH
Steelcase	STC	Vitra	VIT
Haworth	HAW	Arper	ARP
Teknion	TEK	Muuto	MUU
Humanscale	HUM	HAY	HAY
Kimball	KIM	Flos	FLS
National	NAT	Louis Poulsen	LPO
OFS	OFS	Artemide	ART
HBF	HBF	Restoration Hardware	RHB
Bernhardt	BRN	West Elm	WEL
Geiger	GEI	CB2	CB2

For unknown brands, use first 3-5 characters uppercased. Flag for the user to verify.

Step 4: Preview

Show a preview of the first 3 records before generating the file:

## SIF Preview (first 3 of 12 records)

Record 1:
  PN=670
  PD=Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
  MC=HMI
  MN=Herman Miller
  GC=Seating
  QT=3
  PL=5695.00
  WT=92
  TG=Executive Lounge
  OD=Santos Palisander / Black MCL Leather
  AN=DIM
  AD=32.75W x 32.5D x 33.5H in

...

12 records total. Generate SIF file? (y/n)

Step 5: Generate SIF File

Write the

.sif

file with CRLF line endings:

# Output path: same directory as input, or specified path
{input-dir}/{input-name}.sif

Step 6: Summary

✓ Generated product-data-import.sif
  Target: Standard (Hedberg/CAP/ProjectMatrix)
  12 records · 8 fields per record avg
  Manufacturers: HMI (5), KNL (3), STC (2), BLU (2)
  Total list value: $47,830.00
  Saved to: ~/Documents/project/product-data-import.sif

Pairs With

```
/product-data-import
```
— generate a schedule first, then convert to SIF
```
/sif-to-csv
```
— round-trip: CSV → SIF → send to dealer → receive updated SIF → back to CSV
```
/product-data-cleanup
```
— clean up the CSV before converting