How do you import data from JCL file using SAS UE?

[kedwardson]

Hello --

This is probably super simple and I am just overthinking things, but I am using SAS UE and am having issue reading in my data. It is saved in a different format than I am used to, and don't know if that is the issue, or what. It is a jcl file instead of csv, dat, sas, etc...

I am utilizing the RCG survey data from 1991, which is available publicly through the NCES. When you download the files from their site, you get a jcl file for SAS and SPSS, and a dat file. I would like to use the dat file, but it doesn't have any variable names (so I don't have anything for an input statement in my example below), and when I asked the contact at the NCES, they said variable names are available in the jcl file. 

I have tried: 

DATA RCG;
INFILE '/folders/myfolders/data/PC1P_SAS.JCL';
RUN;

I did try another approach as well, but I either get an error that the file doesn't exist, or that the file does not contain any columns. 

I also tried attaching the file to this post, but it says the contents of the attachment doesn't match its file type. Maybe that's my problem?

Any ideas?

[Reeza]

Include the link of where you downloaded the file. They usually have programs to read/import the data.

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

The JCL files are just text files that actually read the dat file. Open it with TextPad, paste into SAS UE and update the path and you should be good to go.

Make sure to put the .DAT file in your myfolders or setup a shortcut path to the folder desired.

[kedwardson]

Super easy! I had no clue what a .JCL file was and couldn't find useful answers on Google. 

THANK YOU!

[Kurt_Bremser]

JCL is most likely Job Control Language, which is the system language of IBM mainframes.

[Reeza]

I found what Kurt found, proprietary IBM files, but the size of the files (2kb) indicated just text to me and no data so I opened it with the text editor and it was code 😉

[Kurt_Bremser]

They probably saved it as .jcl files because you can embed the SAS code in JCL scripts and feed the sysin from there; small programs are often run like that.