Move multiple files in SAS

[George_SAS]

Hi everyone,

I need to move a set of multiple files file_1, …., file_k with a data null step, so I am applying the following SAS code to achieve this task:

%macro skip(trans_rc,
in,
out,
);

%put **&=trans_rc.**;
%if (&trans_rc. ne 0) %then %do;
  data _null_;
    rc = filename("_IN_", &in.);
    if rc = 0 and fexist("_IN_") then
      do;
        rc = filename('_OUT_',&out.);
        rc = fcopy("_IN_", '_OUT_');      
        rc = fdelete("_IN_"); rc = filename('_OUT_');
      end;
  rc = filename("_IN_");  run;
%end;
%mend skip;
%skip(&trans_rc.
,'directory1/file_1'
,'directory2/file_1'
)

In this sense, I have been trying to generalize this code to move all the files file_1, …, file_k (i.e. not only file_1), but I have not been successful.

Any idea?

[George_SAS]

I know that a simple possibility is to apply multiple times the skip function, for example:

%skip(&trans_rc.
,'directory1/file_1'
,'directory2/file_1'
)

%skip(&trans_rc.
,'directory1/file_k'
,'directory2/file_k'
)

In any case, I am asking for a more compact solution to move in a simple step the entire set of files. For example, one could apply the following simple code by the use of wildcards in Unix:

mv /directory1/file* /directory2

However, I can't use this statement with the sysexec function in SAS, for an issue related to a lack of permissions. That's why I am using the data null step in SAS.

Any idea?

Thanks in advance.

[s_lassen · Accepted solution]

I do not think you need a macro for that, e.g. (code not tested):

%let indir=directory1;
%let outdir=directory2;
data _null_;
    infile cards;
    input filetomove $50;
    rc = filename("_IN_", "&indir/"!!filetomove);
    if rc = 0 and fexist("_IN_") then
      do;
        rc = filename('_OUT_',"&outdir/"!!filetomove);
        rc = fcopy("_IN_", '_OUT_');      
        if rc=0 then
          rc = fdelete("_IN_"); 
        else
          stop;
        rc = filename('_OUT_');
      end;
  rc = filename("_IN_");  
cards;
file_1
file_2
file_5
;run;

I put in a check, so that if FCOPY returned an error or warning (which you will get with e.g. a truncation), the process will abort.

Or, if your files are actually named with number suffixes, and you know how many (or the maximum number) to move:

%let indir=directory1;
%let outdir=directory2;
%let fileprefix=file_;
%let nooffiles=33;
data _null_;
  do _N_=1 to &nooffiles;
    rc = filename("_IN_", cats("&indir/&fileprefix",_N_));
    if rc = 0 and fexist("_IN_") then do;
        rc = filename('_OUT_',cats("&outdir/&fileprefix",_N_));
        rc = fcopy("_IN_", '_OUT_');      
        if rc = 0 then
          rc = fdelete("_IN_"); 
        else
           stop;
         rc = filename('_OUT_');
      end;
    rc = filename("_IN_");  
  end;
run;

[George_SAS]

As present above, in this case the copy of the external files is executed only if the variable "trans_rc" is not equal to 0. In this sense, I can't see in your code this possibility.

On the other hand, such a condition can be appropriately implemented with the previous macro, but I just need to generalize it in a more compact form to copy a set of multiple files.

[s_lassen]

You are right. But you can just put in a line

if &trans_rc then stop;

in the beginning of the datastep

[George_SAS]

I have noted that your line if &trans_rc then stop; in the beginning of the datastep Works completely fine for the case where trans_rc is not equal to 0, as mentioned above. However, what happens if I want to apply the copy for the case where trans_rc is equal to 0? I have tried to put the line if &trans_rc eq 0 then do: in your example but it does not copy the set of files:

%let indir=directory1;
%let outdir=directory2;
%let fileprefix=file_;
%let nooffiles=33;
data _null_;
if &trans_rc eq 0 then do;
  do _N_=1 to &nooffiles;
    rc = filename("_IN_", cats("&indir/&fileprefix",_N_));
    if rc = 0 and fexist("_IN_") then do;
        rc = filename('_OUT_',cats("&outdir/&fileprefix",_N_));
        rc = fcopy("_IN_", '_OUT_');      
        if rc = 0 then
          rc = fdelete("_IN_"); 
        else
           stop;
         rc = filename('_OUT_');
      end;
    rc = filename("_IN_");    end;
end;
run;

How can I implement your code with the if condition in terms of the specific value of trans_rc?

Thank you very much again.