topic Re: Copy dataset structure in SAS Programming

Copy dataset structure

garag — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:08:02 GMT

Hi all,

do there is a single way to copy only dataset structure?

I mean, I have a dataset with C columns and R rows, a would have a second dataset with the same C columns but with 0 rows.

Many thanks.

Regards

Re: Copy dataset structure

Haikuo — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:15:32 GMT

Then copy 0 rows over:

data want;

set have (obs=0);

run;
or

data want;

set have;

stop;

run;

Haikuo

Re: Copy dataset structure

garag — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:37:59 GMT

Hi Haikuo,

Both works correctly, the first one is a littel bit faster.

Many thanks for your reply.

Antonio

Re: Copy dataset structure

Haikuo — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:50:08 GMT

Antonio,

As a side note, if you are planning doing the same on datasets other than SAS tables, such as Oracle, sybase, SQL server etc, you may need to use the following standard SQL syntax:

CREATE TABLE want AS SELECT * FROM have WHERE 1=0

and wrap it up using SAS pass-through. where condition can be anything not TRUE.

Please note: proc sql options such as inobs=, outobs= may not work in this kind of situation.

Haikuo

Re: Copy dataset structure

PGStats — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:33:57 GMT

I don't know how standard it is, but SAS SQL offers the command :

CREATE TABLE want LIKE have;

to create an empty table with the same structure as another table.