topic Re: How to generate an Error in the log when "Library does not exist" in SAS Programming

How to generate an Error in the log when "Library does not exist"

AI_Vonnegut — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 15:35:17 GMT

When SAS Enterprise Guide 7.15 is assigned a library that does not exist, it simply produces a note:

NOTE: Library CALCOUT does not exist.

This is a rather unhelpful default since the message gets buried in the log. I've searched a lot trying to find a way to force an Error (or at least a Warning) when a library does not exist, but I can't find anything. It also seems like some versions of SAS automatically generate an error (SAS Studio?), but that's not the case with EG. Does anyone know of a way to change this?

Re: How to generate an Error in the log when "Library does not exist"

brzcol — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 18:06:08 GMT

Depending on your version of SAS, one idea is to write in a little bit of macro code to create an error message.

libname xyz "AnIncorrectPath";
 %if &syslibrc ne 0 %then %do;
      %put ERROR:The library you tried to create does not exist;
 %end;

data example;
set sashelp.class;
run;

Documentation for %if %then : https://go.documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmsascdc&cdcVersion=9.4_3.4&docsetId=mcrolref&docsetTarget=n18fij8dqsue9pn1lp8436e5mvb7.htm&locale=en

Documentation for the syslibrc automatic macro variable: https://go.documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmsascdc&cdcVersion=9.4_3.4&docsetId=mcrolref&docsetTarget=p0vnvc6k3fo349n1aszgd2ls6oxk.htm&locale=en

Even though you are manually creating the error and not EG automatically, hope this helps some. If this isn't what you were going for, feel free to disregard.

Re: How to generate an Error in the log when "Library does not exist"

AI_Vonnegut — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:13:49 GMT

Thanks. I am familiar with %IF %THEN statements and have used them for custom messages in the past - but at least in EG, they can't be used in open code and must be inside a %MACRO statement. While I can do this, a macro won't be a clean solution (I would have to make a global macro to apply across all programs within EG). I really thought there would be an option or a setting within SAS that would give a warning/error when a library doesn't exist. Rather surprising that it's not possible to do this (if indeed that's the case).

Re: How to generate an Error in the log when "Library does not exist"

Tom — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 22:12:58 GMT

Note that whether %IF %THEN %DO works in open code or not has nothing to do with whether you are using Enterprise Guide or not. It just depends on what version of SAS your Enterprise Guide session is using to run the SAS code you ask it to run for you.