topic Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG in SAS Programming

How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:41:28 GMT

Hi community, my yesterday's question was a bit confusing actually it was for me too.

Now I have to a extract the latest file from a location and store it to a dataset.

suppose I have a input folder location "/sas/sasdataset/lev1/" and in that location there are multiple .txt files e.g. user20200414.txt, user20200415.txt, Userxyz.txt are present, I have to extract the latest or any of the file into a dataset. How can I do? Please if anybody a code example.

I am using below code for the latest file but the observations in variable date is null in the output of this code:

</filename users pipe "/sas/sasdata/Lev1/External_Files/Cofunds_Files/mi/";
data files;
infile users truncover;
input filename $100.;
date = input(scan(scan(scan(filename,-1,'/'),1,'.'),3,'_'), mmddyy8.);
run;

proc sort data=files;
by descending date;
run;

data _null_;
set files;
call symput('infile',filename);
stop;
run;/>

Now if I get the latest how can I extract it into dataset?

EDITED

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:14:18 GMT

Try to be as clear and precise with your questions.

What do you mean by "latest"? Is it the file with the most recent modification timestamp, does it have a timestamp coded into the filename (if yes, how?), or do you have a data item in the file itself (e. g. in a header) that defines a point in time?

Your directory name suggests a UNIX system for your SAS server. Is this true?

Do you have XCMD enabled? Run

proc options option=xcmd;
run;

to determine that.

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:39:43 GMT

suppose there are files like user20200415.txt, user20200414.txt, Userxyx.txt how can I extract any of this files and convert it into a dataset?

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:01:21 GMT

See this example code for retrieving all the filenames in a directory (tested on SAS University Edition):

data files;
length location $8;
rc = filename(location,"/folders/myfolders");
did = dopen(location);
do i = 1 to dnum(did);
  name = dread(did,i);
  output;
end;
rc = dclose(did);
rc = filename(location);
keep name;
run;

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:05:38 GMT

Thanks this is working and my first part of the problem is solved, now how can I convert "any" one of the file from that location in dataset after extracting those files

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

andreas_lds — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:05:44 GMT

@annypanny wrote:
suppose there are files like user20200415.txt, user20200414.txt, Userxyx.txt how can I extract any of this files and convert it into a dataset?

I have to repeat what @Kurt_Bremser already asked for: "Try to be as clear and precise with your questions."

So, do you want to import all files or just the latest? If you want to import all files: are all files in the same structure? If yes: do you want one dataset per file or one dataset with the contents of all files?

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:25:16 GMT

yes, and all are in same structure e.g., ONLINEUSER20200415.txt, ONLINEUSER20200414.txt how can I find the latest one and How can I extract any one of them into a dataset (say example of file which is also latest according to date ONLINEUSER20200415.txt)

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:50:54 GMT

@Kurt_Bremser

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

andreas_lds — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:14:17 GMT

You will have to write a data-step reading the file. I recommend starting with one file, which name to provide in the infile-statement, without any steps automatically selecting the file. The input-statement depends on the structure of the file.

Re: How to extract a file from any location into a dataset in sas EG

annypanny — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:20:19 GMT

please would you mind to answer on the given link as it is more clear question then my previous ones:
https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/How-to-extract-an-external-file-into-a-sas-dataset/td-p/640024