Running PROC COPY multiple times

[_maldini_]

I'm using some old syntax - that I didn't write and don't understand very well - to create SAS data sets from .xpt files. 

* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------;
************************************************** 2013-2014 ********************************************************;
* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------;
* Demographics;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/DEMO_H.XPT' access=readonly;
* Drug Use;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/DUQ_H.XPT' access=readonly;
* Medical Conditions;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/MCQ_H.XPT' access=readonly;
* Prescription Medications - Drug Information;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/RXQ_DRUG.XPT' access=readonly;
* Prescription Medications;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/RXQ_RX_H.XPT' access=readonly;
* Cigarette Use;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/SMQ_H.XPT' access=readonly;
* Recent Tobacco Use;
LIBNAME xptfile xport '/home/myname/Projects/NHANES/XPT Files/SMQRTU_H.XPT' access=readonly;

PROC COPY INLIB=xptfile OUTLIB=nhanes;
RUN;

Is there a way to run this once and have all .xpt files in the "xptfile" library copied into the "nhanes" library as SAS data sets?

Currently, I need to run each LIBNAME statement individually and then run the PROC COPY. Not very efficient.

Thank you.

[mkeintz]

A libname statement can be assigned to cover a collection of other libnames (or a list of directories).  So a proc copy could transcribe all the datasets in a collection of libraries (each listed in the "aggregate" library) to a destination library.  Here's an example:

libname sdat1 'c:\temp\sasdata1';
libname sdat2 'c:\temp\sasdata2';

data sdat1.class; set sashelp.class; run;
data sdat2.cars; set sashelp.cars; run;


libname srclibs (sdat1 sdat2);
libname tmp 'c:\temp';
proc copy out=tmp in=srclibs ;
run;

The log reports copying both datasets, one from each SDATx library, to the TMP library.

418  libname srclibs (sdat1 sdat2);
NOTE: Libref SRCLIBS was successfully assigned as follows:
      Levels:           2
      Engine(1):        V9
      Physical Name(1): c:\temp\sasdata1
      Engine(2):        V9
      Physical Name(2): c:\temp\sasdata2
419  libname tmp 'c:\temp';
NOTE: Libref TMP was successfully assigned as follows:
      Engine:        V9
      Physical Name: c:\temp
420  proc copy out=tmp in=srclibs ;
421  run;

NOTE: Copying SRCLIBS.CARS to TMP.CARS (memtype=DATA).
NOTE: There were 428 observations read from the data set SRCLIBS.CARS.
NOTE: The data set TMP.CARS has 428 observations and 15 variables.
NOTE: Copying SRCLIBS.CLASS to TMP.CLASS (memtype=DATA).
NOTE: There were 19 observations read from the data set SRCLIBS.CLASS.
NOTE: The data set TMP.CLASS has 19 observations and 5 variables.
NOTE: PROCEDURE COPY used (Total process time):
      real time           0.01 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds

I have no idea whether this behavior is replicated when reading from a collection of XPORT-engine libraries.

Also: if a dataset name appears in multiple locations in the "collective" library, then, in my experience, only the first one (i.e. the leftmost library) is accessed.

[Ksharp · Accepted solution]

libname x xport ('c:\temp\stocks.xpt' 'c:\temp\class.xpt' );
proc copy in=x out=work;
run;