topic Re: macro issue in SAS Programming

macro issue

sasg — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:50:09 GMT

Hi,

Running below macro on EG 4.2....What command should i use instead of mkdir.

%macro chk_dir(dir=);

%local rc fileref;

%let rc = %sysfunc(filename(fileref,&dir));

%if %sysfunc(fexist(&fileref)) %then

%put NOTE: The directory "&dir" exists;

%else

%do;

%sysexec md &dir;

%put %sysfunc(sysmsg()) The directory has been created.;

%end;

%let rc=%sysfunc(filename(fileref));

%mend chk_dir;

%chk_dir(dir=C:\test);

Thanks,

rk.

Re: macro issue

art297 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:11:04 GMT

Not sure what your question is. Are you looking for a SAS function? The following post suggests using dcreate

http://communities.sas.com/message/13460

macro issue

robby_beum — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:18:00 GMT

Are you saying that the mkdir command is not working for you?

%macro chk_dir(dir=);

%local rc fileref;

%let rc = %sysfunc(filename(fileref,&dir));

%if %sysfunc(fexist(&fileref)) %then

%put NOTE: The directory "&dir" exists;

%else

%do;

%sysexec mkdir "&dir" ; <======== What happens if you use this code instead?

%put %sysfunc(sysmsg()) The directory has been created.;

%end;

%let rc=%sysfunc(filename(fileref));

%mend chk_dir;

macro issue

sasg — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:43:33 GMT

Hi Robby;

Same issue with md and mkdir.

%chk_dir(dir=c:\test);

ERROR: Shell escape is not valid in this SAS session.

Thanks,

rk;

macro issue

art297 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:46:26 GMT

Did you try dcreate?

macro issue

sasg — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:55:57 GMT

art,

It worked with dcreate.

Thanks a lot....but want to check,why it is not accepting spaces with mkdir.

Regards,

rk.

macro issue

art297 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:57:13 GMT

You might also want to take a look at: http://support.sas.com/kb/15/179.html

Re: macro issue

ScottBass — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:29:34 GMT

By default the EG workspace server is started with the -noxcmd option, meaning you cannot exit to the O/S to execute arbitrary code. This is by design as a security feature.

If your server is a Windows server, you can make low level calls to the O/S via SASCBTBL. See http://www.devenezia.com/downloads/sas/sascbtbl/. AFAIK EG still allows this workaround to the -noxcmd option.

But yeah, IMO best practice is to use SAS code where possible. This way your code is usually portable across O/S's. So if dcreate works for you that would be the best solution.

HTH,

Scott