topic Re: Proc Import not closing output file in SAS Programming

Proc Import not closing output file

BruceBrad — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:10:40 GMT

I have a program that imports a large number of spreadsheets into data sets. It runs fine the first time. The second time I run it, I get errors because the output data set is being used. Proc datasets also cannot delete the data sets. The code is like the following (inside a macro loop that generates different &seriesid values.

I'm using EG 8.5 (8.5.0.203) (32-bit).
filename _TSss temp;
proc http method="get"
     url="&tableURL"
     out=_TSss;
run;

proc import datafile=_TSss out=_TSss_&seriesid dbms=xlsx replace;
      range=&seriesid._data; 
      getnames=no;
    run;

Re: Proc Import not closing output file

BruceBrad — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:46:49 GMT

Found the problem (I think). Nothing to do with proc import. Later in the program I run this macro which I use to rename the first variable in the file. I guess I need to put a close statement in there somewhere?

%macro FirstVName(data);
%* returns the name of the first variable in a file;
%let dsid = %sysfunc(open(&data,i));
%sysfunc(varname(&dsid,1))
%mend FirstVName;

Re: Proc Import not closing output file

SASKiwi — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:55:50 GMT

The OPEN function will indeed create a file lock. The CLOSE function will remove it. It is always a good idea to ensure that you CLOSE OPENed files explicitly in your SAS application and not rely on just closing your SAS session which will also release these file locks.