data set variable labels

[ejohnson96]

If you have a data set that was created in base SAS, and then you are loading it into a proc iml to be used with:

use dataset;

read all into matrix_name;

all the names of the variables of the data set get lost. Is there a way to avoid this and keep the variable names?

[Rick_SAS · Accepted solution]

You've not specified the VAR clause on the READ statement, so you are getting the numeric variables. You can get the names of the variables by using this syntax:

use sashelp.class;
read all into m[c=varNames];
close sashelp.class;

print varNames;

For more details, see "Reading ALL variables INTO a matrix."

[billroy3]

This works to preserve variable names, but not their labels.  I use variable names with a numbered prefix (comp1 comp2 comp3...) with variable labels that identify each one.  The numbered prefix allow reference to types of variable using the colon, eg comp:.  I sometimes do operations through IML and would like to output datasets with the original variable names and labels.  Can that be done?