topic Re: Getting column names when using macro proc import in SAS Procedures

Getting column names when using macro proc import

Chelsea8 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:15:48 GMT

I am pulling 11 csv files over from my c: and the first row is not becoming the sas column names. The first field name is 'sep=' and the following field names are 'var1, var2, var3....etc'. I've tried using 'getnames' and the column names are still sep=, VAR1, VAR2...ect. Also the log shows informat as sep=n, VAR1, VAR2...etc. I've attached a test file as an example of my data. I'm not sure how to get SAS to grab the first row and make them column names.

Part of the log:

informat "sep="N $12. ;
678 informat VAR2 $94. ;
679 informat VAR3 $16. ;
680 informat VAR4 $11. ;
681 informat VAR5 $11. ;
682 informat VAR6 $11. ;
683 informat VAR7 $11. ;

Import code:

%macro drive(dir,ext);

%local cnt filrf rc did memcnt name;

%let cnt=0;

%let filrf=mydir;

%let rc=%sysfunc(filename(filrf,&dir));

%let did=%sysfunc(dopen(&filrf));

%if &did ne 0 %then %do;

%let memcnt=%sysfunc(dnum(&did));

%do i=1 %to &memcnt;

%let name=%qscan(%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i)),-1,.);

%if %qupcase(%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i))) ne %qupcase(&name) %then %do;

%if %superq(ext) = %superq(name) %then %do;

%let cnt=%eval(&cnt+1);

%put %qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i));

proc import datafile="&dir\%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i))" out=dsn&cnt

dbms=csv replace;

getnames=yes;

run;

%end;

%else %put &dir cannot be opened.;

%let rc=%sysfunc(dclose(&did));

%mend drive;

%drive(C:\Users\Chelsea.H\Desktop\QSS_2022,csv);

Re: Getting column names when using macro proc import

JosvanderVelden — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:23:22 GMT

Can you import a single csv-file using proc import, without using the macro, and get the columnnames?

NOTE: I and many others don't open attached files because of security implications. Please include the first 3 lines of the csv (with only 3 or 4 columns) as code in the post so we can have a look.

Re: Getting column names when using macro proc import

LinusH — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:33:11 GMT

Also make sure you have set VALIDVARNAME=ANY.

Re: Getting column names when using macro proc import

Tom — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:52:51 GMT

Which 11 files? Which ONE of the 11 files is the one that is generating a variable name of SEP= ?

You appear to be using a complex macro code to get the list of files.

If the list is known just type (or copy and paste) the filenames.

If the list is unknown and you need to use DREAD() to find the file names why are you doing it in macro code instead of in a dataset? It is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to debug normal SAS code than macro code.

Re: Getting column names when using macro proc import

Chelsea8 — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:27:15 GMT

Thank you! I have multiple people who have helped and this suggestion was the missing piece.