How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

LasseL_Knowit — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 13:51:38 GMT

Hi,

I'm having a problem using my user-defined formats. I have followed the instructions from Gerry Nelson:

To make formats available to the CAS Server SAS catalogs must be converted to a CAS Format Library (sashdat file). The CAS Format Library must be:

1) Promoted to global
2) Added to the Formats path-based CAS library
3) Added to the CAS server format search path.

cas casauto sessopts=(caslib="casuser");                    

libname casuser cas caslib="casuser";

proc format library=work.formats casfmtlib="formats";    
  value enginesize 
    low - <2.7 = "Very economical"
    2.7 - <4.1 = "Small"
    4.1 - <5.5 = "Medium"
    5.5 - <6.9 = "Large"
    6.9 - high = "Very large"
;
run;

* Saving the format to resuse it;
* Saved as enginefmt.sashdat in caslib "casuser";

cas casauto savefmtlib fmtlibname=formats                
   table=enginefmt replace;

* format is added to user-defined format 'fmtlib1';

cas casauto addfmtlib fmtlibname=fmtlib1              
   caslib="casuser"
   table=enginefmt;

* promote fmtlib1 to global scope;

cas casauto promotefmtlib fmtlibname=fmtlib1 replace;

I can use the saved format enginesize and I can check my formats should be available:

* use the format enginesize. ;

proc casutil;
  format enginesize enginesize.;                            
  load data=sashelp.cars casout="cars" replace;
  contents casdata="cars";
run;
quit;

/* load a data table to cas under caslib casuser with format enginesize */
proc casutil;
format enginesize enginesize.; 
 load data=sashelp.cars outcaslib="casuser" casout="cars_formatted" 
promote;
quit;

* use and check on formats;

cas casauto listformats scope=global;              

cas casauto fmtsearch=(fmtlib1) position=replace;   

cas casauto listfmtsearch;                         

cas casauto listformats members;

check on formats

If I reset my SAS session or logout/login and then want's to use my saved formats - it is not working. It only works using the work formats:

* use the format enginesize. saved in fmtlib;
* fails - it only works with 'work' caslib formats;


data casuser.cars;
format enginesize enginesize.; 
set casuser.cars_formatted;
run;

/*
80   data casuser.cars;
81   format enginesize enginesize.;
                       -----------
                       48
ERROR 48-59: The format ENGINESIZE was not found or could not be loaded.
82   set casuser.cars_formatted;
83   run;
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
*/


proc casutil;
  format enginesize enginesize.;                            
  load data=sashelp.cars outcaslib="casuser" casout="cars2_formatted" replace;
  contents casdata="cars2_formatted";
run;
quit;

/*
80   proc casutil;
NOTE: The UUID 'ccd385d6-8caa-914c-bbe1-ed21f1423fcc' is connected using session CASAUTO.
81     format enginesize enginesize.;
ERROR: The format ENGINESIZE was not found or could not be loaded.
82     load data=sashelp.cars outcaslib="casuser" casout="cars2_formatted" replace;
83     contents casdata="cars2_formatted";
NOTE: The fileInfo action could not be run for the file "cars2_formatted".
ERROR: The table cars2_formatted could not be located in caslib casuser of Cloud Analytic Services.
ERROR: The action stopped due to errors.
*/

What could be wrong? Any good advice is appreciated 🙂

We are running SAS Viya on RedHat Openshift (LTS 2024.09)

Br, Lasse

(the program is attached)

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

MrSantos — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:26 GMT

Hello,

Possibly this SAS Tutorial can help?

SAS Tutorial | Transferring User Defined Formats to CAS

Regards,

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

LasseL_Knowit — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:26 GMT

Thanks Mr Santos 🙂

The video is quite good! I followed the instructions and revised the program:

* One more shot;

proc format library=work.formats casfmtlib="formats";    
  value enginesize 
    low - <2.7 = "Very economical"
    2.7 - <4.1 = "Small"
    4.1 - <5.5 = "Medium"
    5.5 - <6.9 = "Large"
    6.9 - high = "Very large"
;
run;

* if more format libs concatenate;

catname allcat (work.formats);

proc format library=work.allcat cntlout=temp;
run;

proc format cntlin=temp sessref=casauto casfmtlib='myFormats';

cas casauto promotefmtlib fmtlibname=myFormats replace;

cas casauto savefmtlib fmtlibname=myFormats table=myFormats replace;

proc casutil;
  format enginesize enginesize.;                            
  load data=sashelp.cars  casout="cars" promote;
  contents casdata="cars";
run;
quit;

cas casauto listformats fmtlibname=myFormats members;

I created a new format library 'myFormats'. It is in the search path.

But is not working as a permanent format library. I get this error when I try to open the promoted cars dataset:

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

LasseL_Knowit — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:11:14 GMT

Follow up:

If I have both CAS formats and Compute formats it works fine. So, best practice is a ‘duplicate’ set of formats

topic Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats? in SAS Viya

How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?

Re: How to use SAS viya 4 user-defined formats?