topic How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ? in SAS Enterprise Guide

How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 15:29:30 GMT

Hello,

The conversion a data set into an xml file is made using the following code (ex: sashelp.class). But how do we convert this xml file into a flat file like the one after the sas code.

libname newfile xml "C:\Test\XML\testtoday.xml"

xmltype=oracle;

data newfile.testtoday;

set sashelp.class;

run;

"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Alfred </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 14 </Age><Height> 69 </Height><Weight> 112.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Alice </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 13 </Age><Height> 56.5 </Height><Weight> 84 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Barbara </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 13 </Age><Height> 65.3 </Height><Weight> 98 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Carol </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 14 </Age><Height> 62.8 </Height><Weight> 102.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Henry </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 14 </Age><Height> 63.5 </Height><Weight> 102.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> James </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 12 </Age><Height> 57.3 </Height><Weight> 83 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Jane </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 12 </Age><Height> 59.8 </Height><Weight> 84.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Janet </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 15 </Age><Height> 62.5 </Height><Weight> 112.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Jeffrey </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 13 </Age><Height> 62.5 </Height><Weight> 84 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> John </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 12 </Age><Height> 59 </Height><Weight> 99.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Joyce </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 11 </Age><Height> 51.3 </Height><Weight> 50.5 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Judy </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 14 </Age><Height> 64.3 </Height><Weight> 90 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Louise </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 12 </Age><Height> 56.3 </Height><Weight> 77 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Mary </Name><Sex> F </Sex><Age> 15 </Age><Height> 66.5 </Height><Weight> 112 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Philip </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 16 </Age><Height> 72 </Height><Weight> 150 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Robert </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 12 </Age><Height> 64.8 </Height><Weight> 128 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Ronald </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 15 </Age><Height> 67 </Height><Weight> 133 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> Thomas </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 11 </Age><Height> 57.5 </Height><Weight> 85 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>
"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""WINDOWS-1252""?><ROWSET>"|<ROW><Name> William </Name><Sex> M </Sex><Age> 15 </Age><Height> 66.5 </Height><Weight> 112 </Weight></ROW>|</ROWSET>

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:43:40 GMT

A XML file is a text file, just open it with notepad++ or similar.

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 17:15:19 GMT

Hello Kurt,

May be my question is not clear. I apologize for that.

If I look at the XML FILE and if I open it with notepad++, What I will see is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252" ?>
<ROWSET>
<ROW>
<Name> Alfred </Name>
<Sex> M </Sex>
<Age> 14 </Age>
<Height> 69 </Height>
<Weight> 112.5 </Weight>
</ROW>...

And what I would like to do is to put all the information for an observation on the same row like below:

<ROWSET><ROW><Name> Alfred </Name>...<Height> 69 </Height><Weight> 112.5 </Weight></ROW></ROWSET>

...next observations

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 08:26:06 GMT

Try this:

libname newfile xml "$HOME/sascommunity/testtoday.xml" xmltype=oracle;

data newfile.testtoday;
set sashelp.class;
run;

filename in "$HOME/sascommunity/testtoday.xml";
filename out "$HOME/sascommunity/testtoday2.xml";

data _null_;
infile in truncover;
file out lrecl=1000;
length line $1000;
retain flag 0 line;
input inline $100.;
if not flag
then do;
  if index(inline,'<ROW>')
  then do;
    line = strip(inline);
    flag = 1;
  end;
  else put inline; * keep irrelevant lines as-is;
end;
else do;
  line = strip(line) !! strip(inline);
  if index(inline,'</ROW>')
  then do;
    put line;
    flag = 0;
    line = '';
  end;
end;
run;

Note that you don't want repeated ROWSET tags, as these would break the XML structure.

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 13:56:52 GMT

Hello Kurtz,

Thanks a lot for your help.

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:46:36 GMT

Hello Kurtz,

I have test and modify your code to adjust it to my needs. It works well. Now if I want to use your code into a macro function to pass the File location path and the file name as well. It doesn't seems to works.

I have put % sign to if then do else and index but I think I have difficulties with the expression: if not flag...

How do we modify that for a macro function.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:55:57 GMT

If the only thing that needs to be made dynamic are the dataset and file names, the rest of the code stays as it is.

start with

proc print data=sashelp.class;
run;

make dataset dynamic:

%let dsname=sashelp.class;
proc print data=&dsname;
run;

wrap into macro definition:

%macro print(dsname);
proc print data=&dsname;
run;
%mend;
%print(sashelp.class)

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 18:18:23 GMT

Hello Kurt,

I would like to catch the xml prolog into a macro variable (ex:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="WINDOWS-1252"?>). There after, I need to modify the special characters in the macro variable then copy the prolog (macro variable) at each line (that the format require by the customer).

It is why I am asking how to put the code into a macro function.

%let prolog1=<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252" ?>;

%let target='"';

%let replacement=%bquote(");

%let prolog1=%sysfunc(tranwrd(%quote(&prolog1.),&target.,&replacement.));

%put &prolog1;

Re: How to convert an XML file into a flat file using SAS EG 7.11 ?

alepage — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 13:46:23 GMT

Hello Kurt,

I have completed my test and with your help, I was able to convert an XML file into a Delimiter Separator Value file (*.dsv) with the expected format.

Thanks for your help which is very appreciated.