Call System Statement

deleted_user — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:30:42 GMT

I am looking to get a clarification with the set up of the Call System statement, when using a Window's command (md) to create a new directory.

We are using SAS 8.2 in a Windows XP environment.

The statement works when I hard-code the full command string in a variable:

command = 'md "\\prdausrvs02\homedir$\azl6y06\e\report store\sasout\reportstaging\tonysastest"';
call system(command);

The statement does not compile when I build a concatenated string variable:

OUTPUT1 = 'prdausrvs02\homedir$\azl6y06';
path = '"\\' || trim(OUTPUT1) || '\e\report store\sasout\reportstaging\tonysastest2"';
command = 'md ' || path;
call system(command);

The log file lists this statement:
NOTE: Invalid argument to function SYSTEM at line 479 column 9.

The value of OUTPUT1 is in an input file of our environments.
This is where we control output files for (prod/test/dev).

Re: Call System Statement

LinusH — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:00:15 GMT

I ran your code in DMS SAS mode, and didn't get the NOTE, even if my search path does not match. If you attach the full log maybe there is a clue...

One more straightforward solution is to use the DCREATE function.

/Linus

topic Call System Statement in SAS Programming

Call System Statement

Re: Call System Statement