topic Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly in SAS Programming

SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:21:05 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am really new (and really bad) at SAS, and I am having trouble with having SAS read my data set correctly. Here is the code I wrote:

data 'C:\Users\bamfo\Downloads\bpx_j.sas7bdat';
run;

And this is the log I received:

1    data 'C:\Users\bamfo\Downloads\bpx_j.sas7bdat';
2    run;

NOTE: The data set C:\Users\bamfo\Downloads\bpx_j.sas7bdat has 1 observations and 0 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.13 seconds
      cpu time            0.06 seconds

I downloaded this dataset from my class website. I know from looking at my data without SAS that the amount of variables in the data set is much more lengthy than just 1 observation and 0 variables. Did I type something wrong?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:41:11 GMT

The DATA statement initiates a data step, and the dataset(s) named in this statement will be created.

To use your dataset in a procedure (to print it, make a report, do analysis), you use it in the DATA= option of the respective PROCEDURE statement.

To read it into a data step, you either use the SET or MERGE statements.

The preferred way to use a dataset is to specify a LIBNAME and use the library to access it.

Example:

libname download "C:\Users\bamfo\Downloads";

data test; /* a single-level name will put this new dataset in library WORK */
set download.bpx_j;
run;

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:41:55 GMT

PS Since your data step overwrote the dataset, you have to re-download it.

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly

ChrisNZ — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:44:10 GMT

1. The data keyword creates a data set, so you not reading anything here.

You have overwritten your data set actually.

2. Surely you have learnt how to use SAS. What the keyword to start a statement when you want to read a data set?

3. I am unsure how you are taught, but the string sas7bdat is normally never seen in a program.

What does your course say?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:04:07 GMT

I know the step is libname, but I thought you could use data to directly read a dataset into SAS without specifying a library?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:05:07 GMT

Thanks for your detailed message. What do you mean by single level name?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:06:07 GMT

So basically using data instead of libname in the first line of code overwrites the dataset?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ChrisNZ — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:11:07 GMT

What do your course notes say?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:22:07 GMT

The notes say that libname is used to create a permanent library to access data sets from. This is the preferred way, however in the Little SAS book, I read that the data step can be used to directly read a dataset into SAS without specifying or creating a library using libname. Or perhaps I'm misinterpreting what they mean?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:22:09 GMT

@ashb wrote:
I know the step is libname, but I thought you could use data to directly read a dataset into SAS without specifying a library?

Yes, you can, but no, you don't.

Using a library definition (LIBNAME) and a two-level name (library.dataset) is much easier than always writing out the complete filename. And if the location changes, you change ONE libname definition instead of a gazillion DATA/SET/MERGE/whatever statements or options.

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:23:45 GMT

data test; /* no library specified - single level */
set download.bpx_j; /* library specified - two level */

@ashb wrote:
Thanks for your detailed message. What do you mean by single level name?

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:25:08 GMT

A dataset named in the DATA statement will be written to. If it exists, it will be overwritten, if not, created.

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:26:07 GMT

I see. That may be my problem then, because I would have trouble with coding with other assignments after using the data step rather than the libname step.

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly/

ashb — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:27:07 GMT

Got it, thanks!

Re: SAS is not reading my data file correctly

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 09:31:29 GMT

Once you have libraries for locations defined, you can always use them. Translating whole filenames to libname.dataset notation will be a breeze once you've done it a few times.