topic Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio in SAS Studio

import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

u58975985 — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 17:30:01 GMT

I am a new user. Can anyone explain to me how to import an XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio? Thanks!

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 17:58:39 GMT

To move an XPT file into SAS/Studio the first step is UPLOAD the file to the server where the SAS Session SAS/Studio is using is running.

For us to help you convert the XPT file into a SAS dataset you need to explain what TYPE of file the XPT file is. SAS has two main transport formats it supports. The files produced by PROC CPORT and those using the published transport format that is support by the XPORT libname engine (for dataset that comply with the older restrictions of SAS version 5 and 6 on variable names and character variable lengths) or the SAS supplied %LOC2XPT and %XPT2LOC macros for SAS datasets that use longer variables names or longer character variables.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

u58975985 — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:14:58 GMT

I don't actually know what type of XPT files I have. They are files provided by a federal agency (CDC NHANES). Is there anyway to tell from the files?

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:21:59 GMT

You should write to the NIH and ask them to update their documentation to explain WHAT TYPE of SAS transport file they are providing. They just seem to mention XPT and "transport file" on their web page. Neither that extension nor that phase helps distinquish.

But they are using the old SAS version 5 transport files. So use a LIBNAME statement with the XPORT engine.

You could use PROC COPY.

libname nhanes xport 'demo_j.xpt';
proc copy inlib=nhanes out=work; run;

Or since they include only one dataset per file just a data step.

libname nhanes xport 'demo_j.xpt';
data demo_j;
  set nhanes.demo_j;
run;

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

u58975985 — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 20:05:58 GMT

Thank you. I really appreciate your help.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ksharp — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 01:33:44 GMT

Open your XPT file with Notepad or Notepad++.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 01:47:19 GMT

Note there is no need to use NOTEPAD+, just use a data step.

data _null_;
  infile 'myfile.xpt' recfm=f lrecl=80 obs=3 ;
  input;
  list;
run;

Plus you left out the CPORT transport file format. There is no reason someone could not create a file using PROC CPORT and name the file with .XPT extension. And frequently they do.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ksharp — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 01:56:13 GMT

Tom,
" CPORT transport file format " is not a real XPT file . FDA would not accept it
As you said , federal agency (CDC NHANES) is usually prefer V5 XPT ,not V8 XPT file.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 02:00:47 GMT

@Ksharp wrote:
Tom,
" CPORT transport file format " is not a real XPT file . FDA would not accept it
As you said , federal agency (CDC NHANES) is usually prefer V5 XPT ,not V8 XPT file.

The XPT extension has no fixed file format associated with it. The CPORT transport file is a transport file. That is the point I was making. Whether or not the FDA would accept it does not matter.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ksharp — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 02:08:30 GMT

That is not ture.
In the Pharamacy field ,Especially for sas programmer ,you only can use v5(most time) or v8 xpt file,
Not the file generated by PROC CPORT (which can make any suffix ,like .xpt .bat .tom .ksharp).

If you are in other field other than Pharmacy, you can use PROC CPORT to transport your sas datasets, but in Pharmacy ,you can't .

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 02:53:28 GMT

@Ksharp wrote:
That is not ture.
In the Pharamacy field ,Especially for sas programmer ,you only can use v5(most time) or v8 xpt file,
Not the file generated by PROC CPORT (which can make any suffix ,like .xpt .bat .tom .ksharp).

If you are in other field other than Pharmacy, you can use PROC CPORT to transport your sas datasets, but in Pharmacy ,you can't .

I have been in the field for 30 years and I can tell you have seen thousands of CPORT files of clinical dataset that have been created with .XPT as the file extension.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ksharp — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 05:34:51 GMT

OK.
Then Why did federal agency (CDC NHANES / FDA) usually posted V5 XPT ,not the file generated by PROC CPORT ?
Since the file generated by PROC CPORT has many advantage than V5 XPT (like V8 XPT,no limited 8-byte variable name,no limited 200 of character variable).
Then Why did SAS create a new macro %loc2xpt to create V8 XPT ,since there is already PROC CPORT ?

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 13:12:56 GMT

@Ksharp wrote:
OK.
Then Why did federal agency (CDC NHANES / FDA) usually posted V5 XPT ,not the file generated by PROC CPORT ?
Since the file generated by PROC CPORT has many advantage than V5 XPT (like V8 XPT,no limited 8-byte variable name,no limited 200 of character variable).
Then Why did SAS create a new macro %loc2xpt to create V8 XPT ,since there is already PROC CPORT ?

More non-sequiturs.

The reason that the FDA requested V5 transport files is they prefer to use published standard formats. SAS published to format of the V5 transport files. And when SAS enhanced the format to support longer names and longer variables they published that format also. (Why the heck SAS generates these file using macros instead of making an libname engine I have no idea) So again the FDA would prefer the receive either of the two formats that SAS has published the specification of. But whether or not the FDA accepts a particular file format is not really at all related to the question of what type of file someone has sent you when it is named with an XPT extension or they call it a "transport file".

XPT as an extension is not determinative of the type of file. Unlike a file with an extension of XLSX or XLS where you are 99% sure that the file is an Excel workbook. When you have a file with a name 'XPT' or someone says they are sending your a "transport file" you have to always check to be sure what type of file they have actually sent you.

The NIH publishes NHANES data using V5 transport file format. And they use the XPT as the file naming convention on the NHANES site, but that fact was not readily obvious from the WORDS they published on the site. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating", so for the files with NHANES data you have to actually attempt to read (or at least examine) the file to be confident of the file format.

Perhaps if I write it as code it will be easier to understand?

'XPT' ne 'V5 Transport file'
'XPT' ne 'CPORT Transport file'
'XPT' ne '%loc2xpt() generated transport file'
'Transport file' ne 'V5 Transport file'
'Transport file' ne 'CPORT Transport file'
'Transport file' ne '%loc2xpt() generated transport file'

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ksharp — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 07:23:03 GMT

Tom,
"But whether or not the FDA accepts a particular file format is not really at all related to the question of what type of file someone has sent you when it is named with an XPT extension or they call it a "transport file". "

Yes. You can use the transport file generated by PROC CPORT at anytime anywhere , as long as you tell receiver to use PROC CIMPORT to import it , that is also called transport file. But that is not standard and not official and can't submit it to FDA .

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ok6 — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:26:09 GMT

Thanks for your response. I have same problem and after using the code, I got an error: "physical file does not exist". What could be responsible?

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 01:52:56 GMT

@Ok6 wrote:
Thanks for your response. I have same problem and after using the code, I got an error: "physical file does not exist". What could be responsible?

This is usually caused by not using the actual name of the file.

You might simply have a typo. Remember that on Unix file names are case sensitive. So myfile.xpt is not the same file as MyFile.XPT.

You might be looking for the file in the wrong directory (or "folder").

You might be using the name the file has on your PC and not the name that the file has on the machine were SAS is running. Remember if you are using a tool like SAS/Studio or Enterprise Guide to compose and submit your SAS programs that it is the machine where SAS itself is running and not the machine that is running your user interface that is important.

Remember when use a LIBNAME statement with the XPORT engine that SAS does not know whether your intention is to READ from the libref that is created or WRITE to it. So the LIBNAME statement will not fail if the file does not exist. Instead the failure will come when you try to read from the file that the libref pointed to.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Ok6 — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:19:47 GMT

Thanks but error persists.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Tom — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:43:50 GMT

What. Error exactly? What code did you run?

Did you try running the simple data step to LOOK at the file that I posted before?

data _null_;
  infile "put the name of the file you want to read here" obs=5 recfm=f lrecl=80 ;
  input;
  list;
run;

If that says the file cannot be found, then you are using the wrong name for the file.

If it can be found then make sure the content looks like a SAS XPORT file. The lines written to the SAS log by the LIST statement should look something like this it is is a real XPORT file.

 RULE:     ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6----+----7----+----8----+----9----+----0                      
 1         HEADER RECORD*******LIBRARY HEADER RECORD!!!!!!!000000000000000000000000000000  
 
 2   CHAR  SAS     SAS     SASLIB  9.4     Linux...                        12APR26:22:41:34
     ZONE  54522222545222225454442232322222466770002222222222222222222222223345533333333333
     NUMR  3130000031300000313C92009E400000C9E580000000000000000000000000001210226A22A41A34
 3         12APR26:22:41:34                                                                
 4         HEADER RECORD*******MEMBER  HEADER RECORD!!!!!!!000000000000000001600000000140  
 5         HEADER RECORD*******DSCRPTR HEADER RECORD!!!!!!!000000000000000000000000000000  
 NOTE: 5 records were read from the infile ...

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

ballardw — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:02:15 GMT

@Ok6 wrote:
Thanks but error persists.

Best practice for this forum is to show the code and any messages from the log. Copy the text from the log starting with the code statements submitted that are having an issue through the end of all of the messages associated with the code. On the forum open a text box using the </> icon that appears above the message window and paste the copied text.

The text box is important because the software running the forum will reformat text pasted into the main message window that sometimes reduces the readability or completeness of the diagnostics that SAS often supplies.

In the case of "file doesn't exist" type messages common problems are spelling , case of text, actual location of the file such as attempting to use a local to your computer file where the server running SAS cannot see it. If you show the actual code and messages we can help better. Also, it would be better to start your own thread instead of adding to an older thread. The creator of the thread has options available such as marking an answer correct that others do not. If you do start your own thread you can post a link to this one to reference what has been done so far.

Re: import XPT file into SAS OnDemand Studio

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:21:43 GMT

The usual mistake that causes the "physical file does not exist" message comes from trying to read a local (residing on your PC) file in the remote (running on a server) SAS session. You must upload the file to the On Demand server first (Studio can do this) and then use the path on the server in your code. You can get the complete path through the properties of the file by right-clicking on it in the file navigation tab of SAS Studio.