topic Re: Importing invalid SAS dataset names and exporting as .dta files in SAS Programming

Importing invalid SAS dataset names and exporting as .dta files

mjcochran — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:54:10 GMT

Hello,

I am trying to import 79 different SAS datasets and export them as .dta files. Part of the issue I am having is that the .sas7bdat file names are not valid SAS dataset names--they contain only numeric characters.

I tried to write code that would at least import one dataset and save it out as a .dta and then create a loop to go through the rest of the SAS datasets, but I cannot even get past the first step.

%let folder = C:\Example folder;

proc printto log="&folder.\SAS files\Logs\01 Convert SAS files to dta.log" new; 
run;

libname sasinput	"&folder.\Natives";

options validvarname=any;

proc export data=sasinput.01095552 outfile= "&folder.\SAS files\Output\01095552.dta" REPLACE;
run;

proc printto;
run;

It seems from researching that I need to specify the system option validvarname=any but it does not appear that I am specifying it correctly.

I am looking to loop through SAS datasets sequentially numbered beginning with 01095552.sas7bdat and ending with 01095630.sas7bdat. I am having a lot of trouble figuring out what I am doing wrong.

Thank you for any help. If you could not tell I am fairly inexperienced with SAS, although I have a lot of STATA experience.

Re: Importing invalid SAS dataset names and exporting as .dta files

art297 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:47:26 GMT

Two questions: 1. You use the macro variable &folder, but don't show the code that created that macro variable and

2. validvarname=any doesn't apply to SAS dataset names. They CAN'T begin with a number or include any special characters (other than an underscore).

I would guess that the files were either renamed, or created by a program outside of SAS.

My suggestion would be to write a program that renames the files, keeping them as is, but beginning with an underscore. Then you should be able to export them.

Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com

Re: Importing invalid SAS dataset names and exporting as .dta files

mjcochran — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:11:28 GMT

Hi Art,

Yes, forgot to copy the line of code that generates the macro variable &folder in my post above (fixed now).

Renaming the files makes my code work. Would've liked to have avoided it, but thankfully isn't a big deal in the end. Thanks for the help!