topic Re: SAS conversion tool in SAS Programming

SAS conversion tool

mmccarver — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 19:57:15 GMT

We have a third party client that would like SAS data files.

We are web developers and would like to find a software package that can convert a .CSV file to a .XPT file.

Does any such software exist?

Re: SAS conversion tool

SASKiwi — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:21:12 GMT

Yes, SAS but I suspect that is not the answer you want. The XPT format is designed for moving SAS data between SAS sites running different operating systems and / or SAS versions. It isn't designed for when the provider or receiver doesn't have SAS at all.

Why can't they accept CSV files?

Re: SAS conversion tool

ballardw — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:47:43 GMT

You might see if you can find a version of DBMS Copy. We used to use that for file conversion to SAS from a number of file formats.

I'm not sure about XPT as output but I'd be surprised if it isn't there.

Re: SAS conversion tool

LinusH — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:13:48 GMT

This issue have been raised several times on the community, try a search.
I recall that since this is standard file format for clinical trial data the xpt format is kinda public and there are probably some 3rd party conversion tools out there.

Re: SAS conversion tool

Reeza — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:41:40 GMT

StatTransfer is a commonly referenced tool and likely the cheapest option. Other options are a SAS license, talk to SAS regarding costs.

https://www.stattransfer.com/downloads/windows_mac_linux_downloads.html

Re: SAS conversion tool

rogerjdeangelis — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:09:50 GMT

SAS conversion tool

You should be able to cut and paste this code into the
SAS IML/R interface

inspired by
https://goo.gl/RGB2KK
https://communities.sas.com/t5/Base-SAS-Programming/SAS-conversion-tool/m-p/330292

Here is a pure R solution. Should also be possible
in Python or Perl.

WORKS BEST WITH THE 1980 SAS Old text editor


HAVE d:/csv/class.csv
======================

NAME,SEX,AGE,HEIGHT,WEIGHT
Alfred,M,14,69,112.5
Alice,F,13,56.5,84
Barbara,F,13,65.3,98
Carol,F,14,62.8,102.5
Henry,M,14,63.5,102.5
James,M,12,57.3,83
Jane,F,12,59.8,84.5
Janet,F,15,62.5,112.5
Jeffrey,M,13,62.5,84
John,M,12,59,99.5
Joyce,F,11,51.3,50.5
Judy,F,14,64.3,90
Louise,F,12,56.3,77
Mary,F,15,66.5,112
Philip,M,16,72,150
Robert,M,12,64.8,128
Ronald,M,15,67,133
Thomas,M,11,57.5,85
William,M,15,66.5,112

WANT   d:/xpt/class.xpt  (V5 export format)
====

WORKING CODE
============

 R  class  <-import("d:/csv/class.csv");
    write.xport( class, file = "d:/xpt/class.xpt" );

FULL SOLUTION
=============

* create comma separated file;
dm "dexport sashelp.class 'd:/csv/class.csv' replace";

%utl_submit_r64('
source("c:/Program Files/R/R-3.3.2/etc/Rprofile.site",echo=T);
library(SASxport);
library(rio);
class  <-import("d:/csv/class.csv");
write.xport( class, file = "d:/xpt/class.xpt" );
');

libname xpt xport "d:/xpt/class.xpt";
data classxpt;
   set xpt.class;
run;quit;

proc print data=classxpt width=min;
title "from SAS proc print";
run;quit;

* check the xpt file;
247   libname xpt xport "d:/xpt/class.xpt";
NOTE: Libref XPT was successfully assigned as follows:
      Engine:        XPORT
      Physical Name: d:\xpt\class.xpt
248   data classxpt;
249      set xpt.class;
250   run;

NOTE: There were 19 observations read from the data set XPT.CLASS.
NOTE: The data set WORK.CLASSXPT has 19 observations and 5 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.00 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds


250 !     quit;
251   proc print data=classxpt width=min;
252   title "from SAS proc print";
253   run;

NOTE: There were 19 observations read from the data set WORK.CLASSXPT.
NOTE: PROCEDURE PRINT used (Total process time):
      real time           0.06 seconds
      cpu time            0.04 seconds

253 !     quit;

Re: SAS conversion tool

Reeza — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:19:02 GMT

Summary of @rogerjdeangelis code, there's an R package that's available, https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/SASxport/SASxport.pdf

I have recollections of seeing issues with this package on StackOverflow so I would suggest searching to see how reliable this is, in addition to your own testing of course.

Re: SAS conversion tool

rogerjdeangelis — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 23:47:45 GMT

For the current documentation for the R package SASxport see

https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/SASxport/SASxport.pdf

For bugs see

https://github.com/MangoTheCat/SASxport/issues

There are two outstanding issues.

Note R, Python and Perl can read sas7bdats

WPS and SAS can create SAS datasets from R dataframes.

The express verison of WPS does not limit the size of SAS datasets created from R.

Evan Miller and Hadley Wickham have an experimnetal R package that can create SAS datasets.

However it has acknowledged bugs which are documented and under development.

It is not usable yet.

I think Matt Shotwell is working on a Java API to SAS datasets?

I have used StatTransfer and it works well. There is also Carolina software, which uses JDBC? I have not used it.