topic Re: space in directory name in SAS Programming

space in directory name

gaylebrekke — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:31:23 GMT

I'm trying to read in text files but there's a space in the directory name. The examples I can find are too complicated - I'm not building a repeatable process, just trying to bring in my data (I don't think I need a pipe, for example). Any suggestions?

Re: space in directory name

Reeza — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:33:52 GMT

How are you trying to read it in? Usually that's not an issue at all for SAS procedures.

It would help if you post the code.

@gaylebrekke wrote:

I'm trying to read in text files but there's a space in the directory name. The examples I can find are too complicated - I'm not building a repeatable process, just trying to bring in my data (I don't think I need a pipe, for example). Any suggestions?

Re: space in directory name

ballardw — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:44:52 GMT

If you are using Proc import then typing the name with the spaces should suffice:

proc import datafile="c:\some folder\another dir\my datafile.text"
<rest of proc>

or similar for an INFILE statement in a data step or even associating a FILENAME.

If you are using Windows Explorer (or possibly similar in other programs" to examine you files then:

1) navigate to the folder where the file exists

2) click in the address bar at the top with the folder path after the last entry,

3) the address bar text should now look a bit different and you can copy the text of the path and

4) paste the path into the quotes you use for the filename, infile or datafile.

Then add the file name with extension after a \.

Re: space in directory name

Reeza — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:46:33 GMT

CTRL+SHIFT+Right click on file-> Copy as Path

You can do that to get a full file path for a file in Windows, including double quotes.

Re: space in directory name

gaylebrekke — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:19:19 GMT

Thanks so much! I thought I had tried everything, but I must not have tried that. Or maybe there's some sort of dark magic at work here. 🙂