topic Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables in New SAS User

PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

NewUsrStat — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:44:30 GMT

Hi guys,

is there a way to proc import an excel file with 463 columns (variables)?

It is truncated and I cannot save the original file in .csv file format.

Thank you in advance

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:14:54 GMT

You can always save to csv, either with Excel or alternative software (e.g. LibreOffice).

The alternatives can even provide a CLI for such actions.

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

Kathryn_SAS — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:22:55 GMT

What options are you using in PROC IMPORT? Did you try DBMS=XLSX? Can you send your code and/or log that shows the code and messages you are getting?

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

Tom — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:39:26 GMT

@NewUsrStat wrote:

Hi guys,

is there a way to proc import an excel file with 463 columns (variables)?

It is truncated and I cannot save the original file in .csv file format.

Thank you in advance

How did you try to import it? I am able to import an XLSX file with 500 columns.

25   proc import file="c:\downloads\large.xlsx"
26     dbms=xlsx out=want replace;
27   run;

NOTE: The import data set has 1 observations and 500 variables.
NOTE: WORK.WANT data set was successfully created.
NOTE: PROCEDURE IMPORT used (Total process time):
      real time           0.14 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

NewUsrStat — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:50:42 GMT

Here the code:

proc import out= work.myw
            datafile= "\...\.xlsx" 
            dbms=excel replace;
     range="mysheet$"; 
     getnames=yes;
     mixed=no;
     scantext=yes;
     usedate=yes;
     scantime=yes;
run;

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

Tom — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:19:02 GMT

Possibly it was EXCEL that could not handle the large number of variables?

Use the XLSX engine and take EXCEL out of the loop. You don't need most of those optional statements, either because they are the default or they just don't apply.

proc import out= work.myw replace
  dbms=xlsx  datafile= "\...\.xlsx" 
;
  sheet= 'mysheet';
run;

Re: PROC IMPORT an Excel file with more than 400 variables

NewUsrStat — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:24:22 GMT

Thank you very much for the indications.