topic Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location? in SAS Procedures

how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Mike_Davis — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:59:04 GMT

Hello everyone,

How to use SAS searchingenginer to search a file's physical location?

For example I have a file named "abc.txt", it locates at c:\myfile .I want to know what is the physical location of the file.

Given I only know the file's name is "abc.txt" but I don't know where it is,...so how could I use searching enginer in SAS to get its location: "c:\temp"?

Thanks

Mike

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

art297 — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:07:09 GMT

Would using a pipe to run a dir command (assuming you are on windose) suffice?

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Tom — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:07:34 GMT

Are you asking to know the full path to a file that you can already find? You could use the FILENAME option on INFILE or FILE statement.

70 data _null_;

71 length filename $200;

72 infile 'myfile.txt' filename=filename;

73 putlog filename=;

74 run;

NOTE: The infile 'myfile.txt' is:

Filename=C:\Documents and Settings\XXXXX\myfile.txt,

RECFM=V,LRECL=256,File Size (bytes)=0,

Last Modified=20Aug2012:15:05:10,

Create Time=20Aug2012:15:05:10

filename=C:\Documents and Settings\XXXXX\myfile.txt

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Mike_Davis — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:55:49 GMT

Hi Art,

Yes I am using wondows

Thanks

Mike

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Mike_Davis — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:00:10 GMT

Hi Tom,

The code has problem to run,

45 data _null;

46 length filename $200;

47 infile 'list.txt' filename=filename;

48 putlog filename=;

49 run;

ERROR: Physical file does not exist, H:\list.txt.

Thanks

Mike

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

ArtC — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:03:09 GMT

This error indicates to me that the file list.txt is not in the current directory (root of H:). From the earlier posts it is still unclear to me that the OP knows the actual location of the file.

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

art297 — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:30:11 GMT

Mike,

Try something like:

filename indata pipe "dir \abc.txt /b /s";

data want;

informat fil2read $255.;

infile indata truncover;

input fil2read &;

run;

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Yanzheng — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:11:34 GMT

Great answer. It is working perfectly.

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Mike_Davis — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:00:41 GMT

Thank you Art,

the dir command works well but end with: "file not found"

Mike

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

art297 — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:17:06 GMT

Mike,

Are you trying to find a file within your computer's c: drive, another drive on your computer, or on a network?

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Reeza — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:23:28 GMT

What happens if two files with the same name are stored in different locations, ie a new version and backed up one?

It seems one of those things that you should know where to look rather than search.

Windows Search is really useful and you can search by extension, so if i see some one has created a dataset called hidden_data I can search for it using

hidden_data ext:sas and it will list SAS programs that have that dataset in the code.

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

art297 — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:30:36 GMT

Fareeza,

The code I suggested, which is basically using Window's search capabilities, will provide the full path to each file in the case of duplicate names.

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Yanzheng — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:38:44 GMT

Hi Mike:

Art' code work well. But you need a little bit change since everyone's computer config is different. if you file is sitting in d: driver, please add "x d:;". The code will be like:

x d:;

filename indata pipe "dir \abc.txt /b /s";

data want;

informat fil2read $255.;

infile indata truncover;

input fil2read &;

run;

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

Ksharp — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 02:34:37 GMT

Or chang it if your file is under D disk.

filename indata pipe " dir d:\x.txt /s/b ";

Ksharp

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

ScottBass — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:16:45 GMT

Hi Mike,

In a command window (start --> run --> cmd.exe), type "help dir" and carefully read the output. Get your search working from Windows itself, then paste that code into Art's solution.

HTH,

Scott

Re: how to write SAS code to search a file's location?

lacrefa — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:28:37 GMT

Dear

You can have a look on this type of code, include it inside a macro program :

It test if the file exist and backup it .

%let file_src=&original_path./my_file.txt;
%let flag_csc_exist=NO;
data _null_;
fname="tempfile";
rc=filename(fname,"&file_src");
if rc = 0 and fexist(fname) then call symput ('flag_csc_exist','YES');
rc=filename(fname);
run;

%if &flag_csc_exist eq YES %then %do;
%put I must move the file ;
%let file_src_ar=&original_path./archive/my_file.txt_%TRIM(%QSYSFUNC(DATE(), YYMMDDN8.));
filename src_file "&file_src";
filename tgt_file "&file_src_ar";
data _null_;
infile src_file;
file tgt_file;
input;
put _infile_;
run;
filename src_file clear;
filename tgt_file clear;
%end;