topic Re: How to create a text file with fixed length in SAS Programming

How to create a text file with fixed length

podarum — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 03:44:20 GMT

Hi I have 3 SAS datasets, each having 75 variables. I need to create them in text file with fixed lengths. What is the best way to do that?

Thanks.

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

Reeza — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 04:24:40 GMT

A customized data step.

You can use use the info from sashelp.vcolumns (length/type/format) to help generate the info required for the code...or even the code.

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

podarum — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 04:29:04 GMT

Thank you Reeza, but how do I now integrate this into a code?

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

Reeza — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 04:31:42 GMT

See the example here.

http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/sas/faq/write_fixedformat.htm

Determining the locations (@#) is based on length which can be obtained from dictionary tables or proc contents.

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

Ksharp — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 06:26:49 GMT

What do you mean by fixed length. Can you post an example ?

filename x 'c:\temp\x.csv' ;
data _null_;
set sashelp.class;
 file x ;
 length temp $ 40;
 temp=catx(',',of _all_);
 len=40;
 put temp $varying40. len;
run;

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

Peter_C — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 08:53:25 GMT

PUT statement default behaviour for a list of variables would place single blanks (default delimiter) between vars.
Consider the brevity of:
FILE "YOUR FILE.CSV" DSD LRECL=1000 ;
PUT (_ALL_)( : ) ;
One way to achieve fixed layout would be to specify the formats with widths for each variable in the PUT.
It makes a fine example for use of the dictionary.columns metadata.
Just one question ... what default format/width would you wish for numeric values with no defined format?
The default BEST12. provides floating point notation for large numeric values.....
Once the required choices of width are clarified, a bit of SQL and a simple data step could be written by a student.
In a fixed layout, delimiters would not be needed, but might reduce any importer's need for proper definition of the column layout.
I believe the fixed positions layout would probably be faster to import than traditional csv ... (less cpu time, but more expensive in disk space and i/o) but any benefit will only become apparent for very large data.

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

podarum — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 13:31:03 GMT

I have no idea.. it's a request from someone that it must be fixed length. So here's what I did:

filename out_pipe "P:\Data\new_bo1.txt";

data _null_; set pdrive.new_bor1;

file out_pipe;

put "|" ACEAmount

"|" ACEDate.....

run;

Re: How to create a text file with fixed length

Kurt_Bremser — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 15:25:12 GMT

Use formatted output

put
  x1 $10.
  x2 $20.
;

will result in lines of length 30.