Understanding SAS lib creation process

[shahsn11]

Hi,

I am trying to learn sas programming.

I wrote the below code on University edition of SAS

libname Staging '/folders/myfolders/';

PROC IMPORT DATAFILE='/folders/myfolders/temp2/LoadSomeRandomFile.XLSX'
OUT = Staging.RandomTable
DBMS = xlsx;
sheet='Sheet1';
run;

After execution of this code, a lib "Staging" was created. All fine till now

Now, i executed the below code

libname Cleaning '/folders/myfolders/';

Which created another library name Cleaning, but....... why there is "RandomTable" table in cleaning tooo..... when i had not specified to create it. Why does sas creates it by default.

Thanks.

[novinosrin · Accepted solution]

a library reference is a logical way of merely pointing a folder where your datasets are stored

in your examples, you have used two different library references namely staging and cleaning that points to the same folder

Therefore, when you saved your dataset random table in that very folder using alibrary reference and then point the same folder with  another library reference, you are still basically pointing the same physical area or location where the datasets are stored

Hope that helps