topic Trying to move files with space in path in SAS Programming

Trying to move files with space in path

vicky07 — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 03:05:32 GMT

Hello,

I am using SAS EG and I'm trying to use X command to create a folder and move files using mv command. The create directory stop is working fine however, the file move step is not working. I cant figure out what is wrong with my syntax.

I am not getting any error and the files are not moving. Any help is appreciated.

Below is my code:

%let curr = %str(/Client/Market Ops/%sysfunc(today(),yymmddp9.)/);

%macro a1;

%let tm= %sysfunc(time(),time8.0) ;
%let archive = archive_%scan(&tm.,3,:);

/* create directory */

x "mkdir ""/&curr/&archive.""";

/* move files from current directory to archive*/
x "mv ""&curr/*.*"" ""&curr/&archive.""";
%mend;
%a1;

Re: Trying to move files with space in path

Tom — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 04:06:22 GMT

How can you generated a date string with punctuation that is only 9 characters long? You should need 10, 4 for the year, 2 for the month, 2 for the day and 2 for punctuation.

%let curr = /Client/Market Ops/%sysfunc(today(),yymmddp10.)/ ;

You have extra slashes in there. The %LET is generating a string with a slash at the beginning and at the end into the macro variable &CURR. But then later when you use the value you add an extra one in front of it and after it.

x "mkdir ""&curr.&archive."" ";
x "mv ""&curr.*.*"" ""&curr.&archive."" ";

Two additional points.

1) I find it is usually easier to let the QUOTE() function figure out when you need to double embedded quotes.

x %sysfunc(quote(mkdir "&curr.&archive."));

2) I find using a PIPE to run commands works much better than just the X (or SYSTEM) command. That way you can actually capture any messages the operating system is sending you.

data _null_;
  infile %sysfunc(quote(mv "&curr.*.*" "&curr.&archive.")) pipe ;
  input;
  put _infile_;
run;

Re: Trying to move files with space in path

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 06:24:06 GMT

The string inside the quotes is expanded by the UNIX shell, creating a single object (because of the quotes) which does not exist.

You need to move every file in a single mv.

Let this be an object lesson why you must not have blanks in filenames, period.

Blanks are the natural separator of items on the commandline and must therefore not be used in object names, or they cause problems like this.

See Maxim 44.