topic Re: Dataset Not Replacing in SAS Programming

Dataset Not Replacing

arjessup — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 22:13:52 GMT

I'm not exactly sure what is happening, but I need to replace one data set with another in a library. The current data set has 710 columns, the new data set has 715 columns. Every time I replace the current with the new, whether it is through code or direct Windows copy, the added columns disappear. The columns are the last 5 in the data set. Why is this happening and what can I do to fix it?

Re: Dataset Not Replacing

Tom — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 22:16:12 GMT

Show us your SAS log from running the code that is trying to "replace" the dataset.

Re: Dataset Not Replacing

VDD — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 22:31:06 GMT

have you tried to delete the data set then run your code to create the new data table with the extra columns?

Re: Dataset Not Replacing

ErikLund_Jensen — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 08:15:39 GMT

Hi @arjessup

You need to give us some more details about your SAS products and process. Are the added columns missing when you browse the data set, or when you run a proc contents?

If you are using a SAS product that works with SAS metadata, like DI Studio, SAS only sees the columns defined in metadata. You get an error if a column does not exist in the physical table, and a column in the physical table is ignored, if it is not present in the table metadata..

This is a common problem in DI Studio when working with user defined transformations or user-written code, where the physical output table is created by the code independent of metadata. I often forget to update table metadata after the transformation is run.

Re: Dataset Not Replacing

arjessup — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:14:11 GMT

They are not in the view. When I run PROC CONTENTS, they are in the data set.

Re: Dataset Not Replacing

ErikLund_Jensen — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 16:01:40 GMT

Hi @arjessup

Which means that your code is working, because the data set is replaced.

You say "they are not in the view". Do you mean you access the data set through a separately stored view with the filetype sas7bvew? - if so, you must manually update the view to include the new variables.