How do I export the history of Skype?

Is it possible to export Skype v4 chat history into some readable plain-text format?
(.txt, .xml, .html)

Alternatively, is it possible to backup/restore skype chat history?
(I wouldn't mind backup to Gmail, or to readable plain-text format).

I have found numerous tools on the internet and even tried some of them, but they don't seem to work.

Solution 1:

See the script presented here: Save Skype chat history.

Here is the code:

' Define global variables
Dim oFSO, chat_file, folder_to_save
' Directory where You want to save history (you can modify it)
' Now it is relative, so it will be created where Your *.vbs script runs
folder_to_save = "SkypeChatHistory"
line_count = 0

' Create FSO
Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set_next_free_dir()

' Connect to Skype API via COM
Set oSkype = WScript.CreateObject("Skype4COM.Skype", "Skype_")
' Open skype, if it is not running
If Not oSkype.Client.IsRunning Then
oSkype.Client.Start()
End If

WScript.Echo "Skype history will be saved. Found " & oSkype.Chats.Count & " chat group."

' Iterate chats
For Each oChat In oSkype.Chats
names = ""
' First name is You, so it is unnecessary to keep
no_1st_flag = TRUE
For Each oUser In oChat.Members
If no_1st_flag Then
no_1st_flag = FALSE
Else
   names = names & "_" & oUser.FullName
End If
Next
get_file("chat" & names & ".txt")
chat_file.WriteLine(vbNewLine & "==== CHAT HISTORY (" & Replace(names, "_", "") & ") ====" & vbNewLine)
line_count = line_count + oChat.Messages.Count
' Fix by an anonymous commenter
If oChat.Messages.Count > 0 Then
For Each oMsg In oChat.Messages
' Fix by Vadim Kravchenko
On Error Resume Next
chat_file.WriteLine(oMsg.FromDisplayName & " (" & oMsg.Timestamp & "): " & oMsg.Body)
Next
End If
chat_file.Close
Next

WScript.Echo "Backup was finished (" & line_count & " line saved). You can find your chats in: ./" & folder_to_save

' Garbage collection
SET chat_file = NOTHING
SET folder_to_save = NOTHING
SET oFSO = NOTHING
SET oSkype = NOTHING

' Access to a file given by name
Sub get_file(file_name)
' Parameter fix by: rommeech
Set chat_file = oFSO.OpenTextFile(folder_to_save & "/" & file_name, 8, True, -1)
End Sub

' Find an appropriate directory the logs to save, however, to avoid collision with former dirs
Sub set_next_free_dir()
If oFSO.FolderExists(folder_to_save) Then
ext = 1
While oFSO.FolderExists(folder_to_save & "_" & ext) And ext < 100
  ext = ext + 1
Wend
folder_to_save = folder_to_save & "_" & ext
End If
oFSO.CreateFolder(folder_to_save)
End Sub

Just save it as .vbs file and run it. Then at the first time, Skype will ask you about permission to connect the Skype API, so just click OK. After that it will create a folder called SkypeChatHistory and some files in it which should have your chat history.

Solution 2:

There is Skype Historian, it can export to plain text, json, csv and xml; also able to group data.

As of 2013, it worked for me out of the box (my skype is 6.0.0.126). However it's successor seems to be the open-source skyninja, which I haven't tried yet.

System Requirements: Windows 7 / Windows XP with .NET Framework 3.5

Found the link to this project on the blog in harrymc's answer.

Solution 3:

that's the reason why i'm still using Skype 3.

what were they thinking when they removed the /htmlhistory command???

with Skype 4 i'm afraid the only options are commecial programs such as Pamela for Skype (chat recording is not available in the free version).

as for backup and restore the chat history, that's fairly easy:

Locate the folder Application Data\Skype\ (your username) and copy it to another location such as a CD or DVD-ROM.

To restore the history files just copy the files back to that folder.