Import a sas data set using data step

[anubhav_200]

Hi,

Can anyone please confirm, if we can use data step to import a data set using programming in SAS enterprise guide? The data set is a SAS data set. We do not have to use proc import. Only by using a data step. Please share the code, if possible

[SASKiwi]

You don't import a SAS dataset you just read it:

libname MyLibRef "c:\MyFolderWithSASData";

data MyDataset;
  set MyLibRef.MyDataset;
run;

[Kurt_Bremser]

You do not import a SAS dataset, you just use it.

Copy the .sas7bdat file to a location that your SAS process has access to, define a libname for that location (if such has not already been defined), and you can use libname.dataset in any place where you want to use your data.

eg:

copy x:\somewhere\test.sas7bdat c:\temp

libname temp 'C:\temp';

proc print data=temp.test;
run;

[anubhav_200]

Thanks Kurt!!

I just wanted to confirm that do we use the term importing or just reading the data set when we use a data step. Thanks for the response; it clarifies my doubt.

[anubhav_200]

A doubt in the answer that you have shared!

Suppose the data set is not a .sas7bdat file. Can we use a data step to read any data set, which is not in .sas7bdat file, say, a CSV file?

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

---

You do not import a SAS dataset, you just use it. Copy the .sas7bdat file to a location that your SAS process has access to, define a libname for that location (if such has not already been defined), and you can use libname.dataset any place in your SAS code to use your data.

eg:

copy x:\somewhere\test.sas7bdat c:\temp

libname temp 'C:\temp';

proc print data=temp.test;
run;

@anubhav_200 wrote:

Suppose the data set is not a .sas7bdat file. Can we use a data step to read any data set, which is not in .sas7bdat file, say, a CSV file?

Yes. You not only CAN use the data step for this, you MUST use it. Even if you use the helper procedure proc import, it creates and runs a data step behind the scenes (you can take it from the log).

So imagine a csv file like this:

id,date,sum
A,2018-10-18,5

the data step to read it would look like this:

data want;
infile "location/name.csv" dlm=',' firstobs=2;
input
  id $
  date :yymmdd10.
  sum
;
format date yymmddd10.;
run;

Editor's Note:
Multiple responses were consolidated here to make the complete and final solution more accessible to future answer seekers 🙂 

[anubhav_200]

Thanks, Kurt! I will try using the code shared by you.

[Kurt_Bremser]

I strongly suggest you take the free Programming 1 E-Learning Course: https://support.sas.com/edu/schedules.html?ctry=us&crs=PROG1#s1=1

It will provide answers to this and other typical beginner questions.