topic Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date in SAS Programming

When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Chunling — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 12:06:26 GMT

When copy data sets from directory RDATA to EDATA, the date have been modified as current date, how I can I keep it as last modified date?

proc datasets library=rdata;
copy out=edata datecopy CONSTRAINT=yes index=yes;
run;

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

PeterClemmensen — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 10:27:03 GMT

This can not be done with PROC DATASETS when the data set you copy is indexed. When you use the DATECOPY Option, the modified and created date are preserved unless some processing on the data set is necessary which it is when the data set is indexed because the procedure has to rebuld the data set.

Read the Documentation for the COPY Statement for more information.

I'm not sure if there is a workaround, but I don't think it is possible.

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

VDD — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 15:15:46 GMT

have you tried to use windows explore to do the copy paste?

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Chunling — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 13:09:21 GMT

Thank you very much for your help, even I use index=No, the date also as current date, would you please help to write the code? as I try it many times and always failing, thank you very much!

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Ksharp — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:05:38 GMT



libname x v9 'c:\temp\';
/*Get the modify datetime of TEST*/
%let dsid=%sysfunc(open(x.test));
%let m_date=%sysfunc(attrn(&dsid,modte),datetime.);
%let dsid=%sysfunc(close(&dsid));
%put &m_date;

proc copy in=x out=work;
select test;
run;

proc datasets library=work nolist nodetails;
   /*change WORK.TEST 's modify time*/
   modify test/dtc="&m_date"dt;
quit;

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

PeterClemmensen — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 18:42:55 GMT

@Ksharp, wouldn't this modify the created date of the data set only?

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Ksharp — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 12:32:04 GMT

Yeah. You are right. I thought it would be modified date.

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Chunling — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 08:49:10 GMT

@Ksharp Thank you very much, I haven't test in SAS server as I can't login at home today

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Chunling — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 08:50:33 GMT

@VDDWould you please help to provide an example? as I am not familiar with that, thank you very much!

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Chunling — Tue, 07 May 2019 09:07:29 GMT

@KsharpHello Ksharp, I have try to edit as your guide, but it also doesn't work as one error, even though add the outrep=WINDOWS_32 after libname, would you please help guide further? thank you very much!

ERROR: File EDATA.AE cannot be updated because its encoding does not match the session encoding or the file is in
a format native to another host, such as WINDOWS_32.

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Ksharp — Tue, 07 May 2019 12:37:34 GMT

My code can't change modify time of file, so ignore my post.

Re: When copy data sets from one directory to another, keep the last modified date

Ksharp — Tue, 07 May 2019 13:24:35 GMT

Could you try to use FCOPY() function in data step to copy sas tables ?