topic Re: ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro) in SAS Programming

ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro)

adil256 — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:19:17 GMT

Hi everyone,

I create a variable to store the file directory in it in order to modify the path easier in the futur but when i run the sas code I get this error "ERROR: Physical file does not exist." It works perfectly when i refer the path in the Infile statement.

I begin my code with :

%let path=H:\database\SAS\Txt_file\Database.txt;

then I import my txt file.

DATA MyDB;
             LENGTH
              ...
             FORMAT
              
              ...
             INFORMAT
               
              ...

            INFILE '&path'
                LRECL=584                             
                ENCODING="WLATIN1"
                DLM=';'
                MISSOVER
                DSD 
                firstobs=2;
            
INPUT
              ...
        RUN;

thank u in advance

Re: ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro)

novinosrin — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:30:22 GMT

Macro variable references do not resolve withing single quotes when called within a string literal.

Try

INFILE "&path"

Re: ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro)

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:30:29 GMT

Macro variables are not resolved when enclosed by single quotes. Use double quotes in your infile statement.

Re: ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro)

RW9 — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:34:41 GMT

Hi,

Why not just put it in a filename statement rather than juming through macro loops?:

filename dbfile 'h:\database\sas\txt_file\database.txt';

data mydb;
  length ...;
  format ...;
  informat ...;
  infile dbfile lrecl encoding="wlatin1" dlm=";" missover dsd firstobs=2;
  input ...;
run;

Also, considering coding in lower case, it makes code easier to read.

Re: ERROR: Physical file does not exist ( macro)

adil256 — Mon, 08 May 2017 10:58:33 GMT

Because i didn't know the statement. Now I know :-D.

Thanks and sorry for upper case.