Data Set name does not match file name

[tdegen]

I have a data set we'll say is simply called "MyDataset".   Normally this would be saved as a file called "MyDataset.sas7bdat".   However, some automated program on the server (not SAS) moves older files into an archive appends dates to the file - so now my file is called: "MyDataset.01Dec2022.sas7bdat"

How can I read this file in SAS without renaming the file?   Third party ODBC connectors don't seem to have an issue, but I'm just trying to use windows sas.exe and I get all kinds of errors.

LibName myLib 'E:\Archive' ;

proc contents data =myLib.MyDataset.01Dec2022; 

run;

-or-

proc contents varnum data='E:\Archive\MyDataset.01Dec2022.sas7bdat';

run;

If I rename the file so the filename matches the dataset name, I have no issues.  How can I read the file without changing the file name?

[ballardw]

Normally dots are not accepted as part of a data set name because of other syntax, such as the LIBNAME.DATASET rules.

If you want to use those non-standard names then you set the option Validmemname=Extend to allow non-standard dataset names and then use a name literal, the name enclosed in quotes followed by an N.

options validmemname=extend;

proc contents data=mylib.'Mydataset.01Dec2022'n ;
run;

[Kurt_Bremser]

Two things come to my mind.

• the automatic archiver should use an underline, not a dot, to separate the date. Underlines cause much less hassle
• the date should be only digits in YMD order (YYYYMMDD). Makes handling such files much easier