SAS parser to step through a SAS log

[Question]

Hi All,

A quick question,

Has anyone ever used a SAS parser to step through a SAS log?. The problem I am having is I want to calculate the run time for each loop of a program written by a colleague.  Because I don't have access to the data yet I can't add statements to the macro to print to the log. The log I have prints the run time for each iteration. So what I want to do is find out the total run time for this dataset. There has to be a more efficient way than having to add up each iteration manually?

Your help would be much appreciated as it is a long log.

Thank you

[Shmuel]

You declared: "The log I have prints the run time for each iteration."

Did you "print" it into a file? what kind of file? Can you post a sample of that file ?

[Peter_C]

I have written prayers for SAS logs
They weren't short or simple. They (probably) wouldn't help with custom message for each "iteration" .. but we are all sas programmers...
If these iterations are in one data step, the step should give the step elapse time in log.
So please let us see the messages you want totalled.
For the next time?, recommend liberal use of
%put INFO: at %put %sysfunc( now(), datetime17.2) ;

[Peter_C]

when did parsers become prayers!

Thanks autocorrect

[PhilC]

Are you aware of PROC PRINTTO?  You didn't mention if you were able to send your log to a file yet.  Well if you already know, this should help the person using this article in the furture.

Example: SAS Help Center: Routing to External Files

[ballardw]

May want option Fullstimer with Stimer set when creating the log.

[Tom]

I usually scan for lines that with MPRINT(... so I can see what macro is running.

If you are asking for the timing from data steps or proc steps then I normally also scan for DATA ... or PROC ... and remember.

Or scan for the NOTE: lines that say how many observations and variables were written.

You can use RETAIN to keep the dataset name or macro name and then search for and read the lines with the timing information. I seem to remember you need to use STIMER informat to read the times. Or perhaps count the numbers colons and prefix the string with enough extra '00:' so the seconds don't become hours.

In terms of counting the loops if there is not a distinct dataset name for each loop then look for some distinct line in the log you can use to detect when a new loop starts and increment a counter.

[SASKiwi]

I suggest you check out PROC SCAPROC