topic Re: Linux SAS save working directory as a single variable in a dataset in SAS Programming

Linux SAS save working directory as a single variable in a dataset

Jumboshrimps — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:29:21 GMT

Want to create a dataset containing one variable - the SAS temporary working directory on a

RedHat 7.7 (Maipo) server. Code below works fine, until I try to write the (looooong) working

directory string to a temporary dataset.

CODE:

proc options option = work; <<<gets temporary SAS work directory
run;

%put %sysfunc(getoption(work));

%let tmpSASwrk = %sysfunc(getoption(work));
%put &tmpSASwrk;

data working; <<<create a SAS data set "Working" with just 1 variable - temp work directory
call symput("workdir",&tmpSASwrk);
run;

Although the working directory is correctly identified, I get the following error:

"/saswork/SAS_work28AD0000FF4A_someplace.over.therainwbow.com" <<<correct working directory
22 780
ERROR: DATA STEP Component Object failure. Aborted during the COMPILATION phase.
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, a numeric constant,
a datetime constant, a missing value, INPUT, PUT.

ERROR 780-185: Invalid object or method name.

How can I save the current (temporary) working directory string to a dataset with one variable?

Re: Linux SAS save working directory as a single variable in a dataset

Tom — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:32:22 GMT

What dataset do you want to create? What do you want to call the variable?

data want;
  working_dir = getoption('work');
run;

Re: Linux SAS save working directory as a single variable in a dataset

Reeza — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:43:07 GMT

@Jumboshrimps wrote:

data working; <<<create a SAS data set "Working" with just 1 variable - temp work directory
call symput("workdir",&tmpSASwrk);
run;

That part is incorrect, that's creating a macro variable with the work directory, equivalent to tmpSASwrk so its not doing what you think it's doing. This will, but make sure the length of the variable is long enough.

data working;  
length workdir $300.;
workdir = "&tmpSASwrk";
run;

Re: Linux SAS save working directory as a single variable in a dataset

Jumboshrimps — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 14:27:14 GMT

Captain Obvious sez "Thanx", 'cause that was, well obvious.........