What is the best way to access a sas7bcat formats file in Unix SAS?

[ballardw]

Your comment about PC/SAS users liking to send these files doesn't imply that that they are old but current, so pardon the confusion.

[SASKiwi]

My understanding is that there is no way in Linux SAS to convert the "vanilla" Windows SAS format catalogs.

You need to convert them using Windows SAS first.

If you had SAS/Connect licensed and installed in both Linux and Windows (use PROC SETINIT to confirm) you could automate the conversion of these catalogs by getting your Linux SAS to connect to your Windows SAS PC and upload these catalogs. SAS will automatically convert them while uploading.

Failing this you could batch process all of your format catalogs on Windows SAS into transport format, store them on a file share where Linux can see them and then import them into Linux format with Linux SAS.   

[dcampb]

SASKiwi, that's essentially what I have been doing.  I was hoping there was a one-step method.  It seems odd that these cannot simply be opened but it sounds like that's the case.

[Kurt_Bremser]

I have used the PROC CPORT/PROC CIMPORT path in the past. Only needs base SAS on the source and target system.

[Ksharp]

Not sure. Did you check proc catlog ?

[jakarman]

dcamp, dou you have SAS/connect? That is the most easy and simple method to have catalogs copied between releases / systems.

The luxury of just opening as with SAS-datasets (CEDA) is not easy possible. Catalogs are having a internal directory structure for a lot of members. Some type of members are needing as real conversion (aside some OS pointers). All that is done behind scenes using SAS/connect. The proc upload/download are supporting the adding of members, that is not part of proc catalog). When you have you source and destination (rls possible) it is very much like a one step copy.
To use  formats is dedicated catalog-datasets you also have to set a sas option. All can be prepared as standard at startup. What is you issue with that?

[dcampb]

No, we don't have SAS/Connect.

I found several articles indicating what I was hoping for is impossible, so this topic might as well be closed.  Thanks to all for the responses,