PROC EXPORT to Excel

[n6]

I'm trying to convert a SAS dataset into an Excel dataset using PROC EXPORT. And when I do I get this error.

ERROR: Error attempting to CREATE a DBMS table. ERROR: Execute: Too many fields defined..

I've also tried doing it using the software Stat Transfer and it says it can't do it because there are more than 255 variables in the SAS dataset. Could that be the cause of the SAS error too? Can it really be that in this day and age we still can't convert a SAS dataset into Excel if the SAS dataset has more than 255 variables? That seems so archaic. Maybe it's an Excel issue rather than a SAS issue.

What I want to do is make an Excel sheet from a SAS dataset and then send it to someone (because they don't have SAS). I guess I can make 3-4 smaller SAS datasets first and convert each of them into Excel and then send all of them to that person but that'll be quite a pain. I guess doing a PROC CONTENTS and then copying and pasting all the variable names into the editor window and then putting those inside KEEP statements will be the way to make several small datasets, if it comes to that. But I thought I'd ask first to see if someone knew a better way.

[deleted_user]

This is an Excel limitation at least for 2003. This was the information on Microsofts website:

"Applies to
Microsoft Excel 2003

Maximum number of rows and columns
A Microsoft Office Excel worksheet contains 65,536 rows and 256 columns. You cannot increase the number of rows or columns beyond the maximum row and column limits.

For information about specification limits in worksheets, workbooks, workgroups, calculations, PivotTable reports, and charts, see Excel specifications and limits"




Here is a link with the information:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA101375451033.aspx?pid=CL100570551033