topic Re: Building a filename from prompt variable in SAS Enterprise Guide

Building a filename from prompt variable

eg_michael — Wed, 09 May 2018 17:33:14 GMT

I am importing text file and want to build the file path based on the month and year from a prompt variable, then use the file path in an infile statement. Normally strings are my thing but apparently not in SAS. I have included a condensed version of my code to show what I am trying to accomplish. Any advice?

Data myDataSet ;
	%let month = %sysfunc(putn(%sysfunc(month("&PV_ReportMonth."d)), z2.));
	%let year = %sysfunc(year("&PV_ReportMonth."d));

	/* I want to dynamically build the file name and path from a Date Prompt variable &PV_ReportMonth */
	mytextfilepath = "C:\mypath\mytextfile"||@month||@day||".txt";

	/* So if user chose May 2018. mytextfilepath would be "C:\mypath\mytextfile052018.txt"

	/* And use it like this */
	infile mytextfilepath DLM='|' firstobs=2; 
	input Var1 ~$10. 
		Var2 $ 
		Yada $ 
		Blah $;
run;

Re: Building a filename from prompt variable

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 09 May 2018 17:55:03 GMT

Since the macro statements are resolved before the data step runs, I like to keep them separate in code, for clarity:

%let month = %sysfunc(putn(%sysfunc(month("&PV_ReportMonth."d)), z2.));
%let year = %sysfunc(year("&PV_ReportMonth."d));
%let mytextfilepath = C:\mypath\mytextfile.&month.&day..txt;

Data myDataSet ;
infile "&mytextfilepath" DLM='|' firstobs=2; 
input
  Var1 ~$10. 
  Var2 $ 
  Yada $ 
  Blah $
;
run;

In reality, I would create the macro variable in a preceding data step with call symput, as that removes the need for the %sysfunc calls.

Re: Building a filename from prompt variable

eg_michael — Wed, 09 May 2018 18:37:34 GMT

Perfect, Thank you Kurt! - it works perfect