topic Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets? in SAS Programming

How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

pavelr — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 06:28:29 GMT

Is there a way to check (programmatically) whether a dataset was really copied using proc datasets; copy?

For example, in a program I use proc datasets; copy to copy a dataset, then I need to do some actions with this dataset. But before I do something with this dataset I want to check whether it was really copied (copying was not terminated by a poor connection or but some other reasons). How can I do it in my program?

Thanks for any help!

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

PeterClemmensen — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 06:37:40 GMT

I don't think Proc Datasets offers that.. Would it be enough to check if the copied dataset exist?

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

pavelr — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 06:46:36 GMT

Thanks for your reply. To check if the copied dataset exist is not really enough, because it already exists there, but I need to copy (refresh/replace) this dataset periodically and to know whether proc datasets; copy failed or not. To delete this dataset before copying a new version of it is not an option either.

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

PeterClemmensen — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:08:29 GMT

Ok. How about this. Run Proc Datasets and check the SysCC macro variable for success.

proc datasets nolist;
   copy in = sashelp out = work memtype = data;
   select class;
run;quit;

%put &=syscc.;

proc datasets nolist;
   copy in = abc out = work memtype = data;
   select class;
run;quit;

%put &=syscc.;

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

yabwon — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:33:24 GMT

You could try FINFO() function to get modification date, see the doc for the details:

https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=vdmmlcdc&cdcVersion=1.0&docsetId=lefunctionsref&docsetTarget=p0cpuq4ew0dxipn1vtravlludjm7.htm&locale=en

Here is example from doc. which may help:

data info;
   length infoname infoval $60;
   drop rc fid infonum i close;
   rc=filename('abc', 'physical-filename');
   fid=fopen('abc');
   infonum=foptnum(fid);
   do i=1 to infonum;
      infoname=foptname(fid, i);
      infoval=finfo(fid, infoname);
      output;
   end;
   close=fclose(fid);
run;

all the best

Bart

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

pavelr — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:40:18 GMT

This should work. I will try it.

Thank you very much!

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

pavelr — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:44:26 GMT

Thank you, Bart! This seems to be a good solution too. Need to look into it.

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

pavelr — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:54:28 GMT

Well, it doesn't fully solve the problem, because if some other step before proc datasets fails then syscc is set to an error number, so when proc datasets executes afterwards and doesn't fail - the syscc is not reset to 0.

Re: How to check whether a dataset was copied using proc datasets?

Shmuel — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:08:54 GMT

If you get &syscc > 0 then copy failed. (&syscc=4 is a warning - should bechecked).

You can either abort this session and rerun the copy later in a new session or

you can reset it by: %let syscc=0; and continue with other steps.

In last case you need a warning message to show which file was not copied.