topic import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session in SAS Programming

import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session

Sasuser52 — Thu, 21 May 2020 14:00:27 GMT

What is the best way to import (or read) an Excel file from within an interactive SAS session while the same Excel file has simultaneously been opened by the same user?

(I have the impression that this is possible when the Excel file is on a remote server share, but not for files which are located at the local drive.)

Re: import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session

Quentin — Thu, 21 May 2020 14:40:02 GMT

By "interactive session" you mean old-fashioned PC SAS with display manager, running locally? Certainly PC SAS is happy to read Excel files stored locally.

Re: import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session

ballardw — Thu, 21 May 2020 15:18:44 GMT

Proc Import does not handle files that are opened by an application that 'locks' access to a file.

So I suspect you will not be able to get that approach to work.

A very old, fragile, no longer supported by Microsoft approach using DDE may work. I'm not going to provide any example as some of the code elements are actually dependent on which Office/ file version is used.

A real question would be "why must the file be open"?

Re: import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session

Sasuser52 — Fri, 22 May 2020 09:33:44 GMT

Yes, I mean old-fashioned PC SAS with display manager, running locally. 😉

Re: import (or read) open Excel File from within interactive SAS session

Sasuser52 — Fri, 22 May 2020 09:39:45 GMT

Thank you for your answer. 😊 I guess there is no nice way to do this. It would be convenient to have it. Now I have a lot of closing the Ecxel file, running a SAS programm, opening the Excel file, changing something, closing the file, running the SAS programm, opening the file ....