https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70832#M15310 Hi:<BR /> There's a paper referenced at the end of this thread that is very useful:<BR /> <A href="http://support.sas.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=11068&amp;tstart=0" target="_blank">http://support.sas.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=11068&amp;tstart=0</A><BR /> <BR /> It should serve to get you started. Although, I'm confused by what you mean when you say "at the DATA STEP or the PROC STEP" -- because while a DATA step can either read or write an "external file" (non-SAS file), the only PROC STEP that can read or write an external file is PROC IMPORT or PROC EXPORT (well, PROC FSLIST -- but hardly anyone uses that anymore).<BR /> <BR /> cynthia Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:21:36 GMT Cynthia_sas 2010-09-09T02:21:36Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70831#M15309 hi, all!<BR /> <BR /> How can i get the external file's attributes at the DATA STEP or the PROC STEP! <BR /> <BR /> Thanks a lot! Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:53:02 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70831#M15309 deleted_user 2010-09-09T00:53:02Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70832#M15310 Hi:<BR /> There's a paper referenced at the end of this thread that is very useful:<BR /> <A href="http://support.sas.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=11068&amp;tstart=0" target="_blank">http://support.sas.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=11068&amp;tstart=0</A><BR /> <BR /> It should serve to get you started. Although, I'm confused by what you mean when you say "at the DATA STEP or the PROC STEP" -- because while a DATA step can either read or write an "external file" (non-SAS file), the only PROC STEP that can read or write an external file is PROC IMPORT or PROC EXPORT (well, PROC FSLIST -- but hardly anyone uses that anymore).<BR /> <BR /> cynthia Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:21:36 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70832#M15310 Cynthia_sas 2010-09-09T02:21:36Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70833#M15311 Okay!<BR /> <BR /> Very Thanks, Your suggestion just satisfy my question. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:59:18 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/how-can-i-get-the-external-file-size-create-date-modify-date-etc/m-p/70833#M15311 deleted_user 2010-09-09T05:59:18Z