topic Re: String variables not accessable when read with Proc Import from Excel in SAS Procedures

String variables not accessable when read with Proc Import from Excel

dmanteigas — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 11:51:08 GMT

Hi there,

I'm having a problem in using PROC IMPORT to import excel files into SAS. I'm using the following code:

PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="FILE.xlsx"
	DBMS=xlsx replace
	OUT=FILE;
RUN;

It appears to be everything ok with the dataset. However, when I try to referece string variables (for instance, "IF VAR='STRINGVALUE') I never get anything as a result. I used trim, strip and compress to check if there was any problem with blanks and it didn't work. I imported the dataset as CSV and it worked right. Proc Contents doesn't show anything unusual with dataset attributes. Does anyone knows what the problem may be?

Regards,

David

Re: String variables not accessable when read with Proc Import from Excel

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:05:00 GMT

Could you show as the offending data step code and the output of proc contents for the imported dataset WORK.FILE?

Re: String variables not accessable when read with Proc Import from Excel

RW9 — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:07:47 GMT

The problem could be a number of things. CAn you extract a bit of the imported dataset, into a datastep and post here:

This post:
https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/How-to-create-a-data-step-version-of-your-data-AKA-generate/ta-p/258712

Shows how to do it.

And then show us the logic you are trying to apply to it.

Do note that using CSV would always be my preferred solution - fix your datastep import program based on the specifications document agreed with the vendor. This minimises issues. Excel is not a good data medium.