structure of data set is readable, but where is the data?

[MaryA_Marion]

When I do a proc contents of the enclosed data set I am obtaining a description of what is inside - alphabetic list of variables and attributes, engine/host information observation length. Number of variables is 9, number of observations = 0.  Are there sas7bdat files that only give data structure information and where / how do I obtain the data? What sas statements should I use?

MM

[novinosrin]

Hi @MaryA_Marion   Are you asking how to view the data portion of a SAS dataset rather than the descriptor(metadata) portion of the dataset? If yes, have you tried PROC PRINT?

[MaryA_Marion]

Yes. I get a very interesting description of the data set but no data? I have looked at it in SAS U Editon and JMP.

MM

[novinosrin]

In your question, you've mentioned " number of observations = 0"  So even proc print wouldn't be of use as your dataset is an empty table. It only has a structure to hold records though none yet apparently.

[Patrick]

Yes, it is possible to have a data set with no row of data.

The dataset you've posted contains multiple rows but it appears it's the description of some output table from a query  - likely executed against sashelp.vcolumn.

proc print data=work.churchdata;
run;

[MaryA_Marion]

I wondered if this could be one of your help datasets like the car dataset?
MM

[Patrick]

Below query will list all tables for which you've got a libname defined and which contain a column Receiver (one of the column names from your variable listing).

In my environment none of the tables under sashelp has such a column.

proc sql;
  select distinct libname, memname
  from sashelp.vcolumn
  where upcase(name)='RECEIVER'
  ;
quit;

[MaryA_Marion]

Thanks. Interesting code I will keep around. I had the same results. MM

[Reeza]

SASHELP.VTABLE and SASHELP.VCOLUMN

VTABLE holds metadata about tables

VCOLUMN holds metadata about the variables in the data set

You can query these to find information on the data sets as needed. 

---

@MaryA_Marion wrote:

When I do a proc contents of the enclosed data set I am obtaining a description of what is inside - alphabetic list of variables and attributes, engine/host information observation length. Number of variables is 9, number of observations = 0.  Are there sas7bdat files that only give data structure information and where / how do I obtain the data? What sas statements should I use?

MM

---

[MaryA_Marion]

Reeza ...
SASHELP.VTABLE and SASHELP.VCOLUMN
VTABLE holds metadata about tables
VCOLUMN holds metadata about the variables in the data set

MM

Thank you for your reply. 
Ordinarily I would use "ods trace on" to find output tables but which tables do I refer to here?
proc sql data=perm.churchdata;
  select distinct libname, memname
  from sashelp.vtable
  where upcase(table)='?'
  ;

Is it possible to unlock the data in this file?
quit; 
*/

[Kurt_Bremser]

---

@MaryA_Marion wrote:

Reeza ...
SASHELP.VTABLE and SASHELP.VCOLUMN
VTABLE holds metadata about tables
VCOLUMN holds metadata about the variables in the data set

MM

Thank you for your reply. 
Ordinarily I would use "ods trace on" to find output tables but which tables do I refer to here?
proc sql data=perm.churchdata;
  select distinct libname, memname
  from sashelp.vtable
  where upcase(table)='?'
  ;

Is it possible to unlock the data in this file?
quit; 
*/

---

Once again, use dictionary.columns (or the view for it, sashelp.vcolumn):

proc sql;
select * from dictionary.columns
where libname = "PERM" and memname = "CHURCHDATA";
quit;

[Patrick]

@MaryA_Marion 

There is no other data in the file/table than what a Proc Print shows you.

[Reeza]

There is no data. If you tried to read it incorrectly, it's possible you accidentally overwrote it. Do you have a copy of the original file.

[ballardw]

---

@MaryA_Marion wrote:

When I do a proc contents of the enclosed data set I am obtaining a description of what is inside - alphabetic list of variables and attributes, engine/host information observation length. Number of variables is 9, number of observations = 0.  Are there sas7bdat files that only give data structure information and where / how do I obtain the data? What sas statements should I use?

MM

---

Here is an example of how to make a data set with only the structure of an existing data set but no observations:

data example;
   set sashelp.class (obs=0);
run;

But where to add the data from if you have one of these structure only sets depends on what you have.