topic Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS? in SAS Programming

How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

jjames1 — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 21:15:23 GMT

Hello,

I am trying to run a .sh file from sas. I tried the following

data _null_;
call system ('cd /users/smith/report.sh');
run;

But it is not executing my script .

Please help

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

mkeintz — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 21:21:44 GMT

"cd" is change directory. It will not run the script.
Have you tried the X statement? It's a global statement (i.e. does not need to be (should not be) inside a DATA step or other PROC step. See http://www.sascommunity.org/wiki/X_statement

x '/users/smith/report.sh' ;

You also need to consider whether you want your SAS program to wait for the X statements complete or not. If yes, then issue

options xwait;

somewhere prior to the X statement(s).

If not

options noxwait;

Note many sysadmins turn off the ability to issue X statements when configuring SAS.

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 07:25:08 GMT

As @mkeintz already noted, cd won't run anything, it just (in UNIX) sets the current working directory of the shell (or, when submitted with x or call system(), the cwd of the SAS session).

The best method for executing external programs is with a filename pipe:

filename oscmd pipe "/users/smith/report.sh 2>&1";

data _null_;
infile oscmd;
input;
put _infile_;
run;

filename oscmd clear;

This will catch all output (including error messages from stderr, that's done with the 2>&1 redirection) from the external program in the SAS log.

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

Babloo — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 07:47:53 GMT

Could you please tell me why we use

2>&1?

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 08:16:51 GMT

@Babloo wrote:

Could you please tell me why we use
2>&1?

You should start to read all of a post before answering/questioning:

Quote from my post:

(including error messages from stderr, that's done with the 2>&1 redirection)

A google search for "2>&1" will give you extensive information for why it is done.

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

Smr1234 — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 08:18:56 GMT

Hi,

I am trying to execute a shell file from a SAS MACRO

I use below code:

filename runoc pipe "/test/space.try.sh";

I get message saying there is no logical file name assign to runoc.

Re: How to Run Shell Script inside SAS?

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 09:19:28 GMT

don't hijack a thread that's two years old. Almost nobody will see your question. Open your own thread in SAS Programming.
in this new thread, post your whole log (from the filename statement to the ERROR message), using the {i} button.