topic Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS in SAS Programming

Download files from FTP site to SAS

mlogan — Mon, 01 May 2017 21:02:18 GMT

Hi All,

I am trying to copy files from the FTP server to SAS. Can someone please help. Folowing the are code that I wrote. Thanks.

FILENAME TEST FTP 'Test.xlsx' lrecl=256
                CD='/44434/Data/'
                HOST='files1.abc.com'
                USER='anonymous'
                PASS='XXXX';
				RUN;
PROC PRINT DATA=Test;
RUN;

Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS

art297 — Mon, 01 May 2017 21:28:03 GMT

You need to create a datastep to input the file. For an example see: http://support.sas.com/kb/43/962.html

Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com

Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS

ChrisNZ — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:31:31 GMT

You need 2 steps before your proc print.

1- transfer the file to your machine, using the BINARY TRANSFER (read) logic in @art297 's link

2- proc import the transfered file into a SAS data set (or create a library with the xlsx engine)

Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 02 May 2017 07:40:16 GMT

The filename statement only creates a reference to the external file, it does not do anything on its own.

proc print only works for SAS datasets, not for external files. So you need to import the data from the xlsx into a SAS dataset first.

If have no idea if that could be possible in a single step. If it is possible at all, you need to define the file reference in a way that it works with the binary data of xlsx (xlsx is a zip archive of XML files; this means that the file itself is unstructured and must be handled as a stream).

So you might try

filename test ftp
  'Test.xlsx'
  cd='/44434/Data/'
  host='files1.abc.com'
  user='anonymous'
  pass='XXXX'
  recfm = s /* this is crucial */
;

proc import datafile=test dbms=xlsx out=work.test replace;
run;

But I'd separate the steps first, as @ChrisNZ suggested. You can even do a binary transfer in SAS alone, see http://support.sas.com/kb/43/962.html

Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS

mlogan — Thu, 04 May 2017 01:23:03 GMT

Hi KurtBremser, Thanks for the explanation. In the proc import stage I don't have my file in work library (you mentioned datafile=test). My data file is at ftp server. What would be the datafile location in my case would you please explain. Thanks.

Re: Download files from FTP site to SAS

mlogan — Thu, 04 May 2017 01:26:05 GMT

oh I got It! datafile should be datafile=test. Thanks.