proc export tab delimited txt file missing last row

[Elliott]

I am creating a SAS dataset that I need in a specific format to be written out using proc export to create a tab delimited text file.  The output has the first row missing the variable values and only contains the hard coded values and the last row is empty so the output is missing the last row of the dataset.  I do not know why this is happening.  Is there somthing I am missing is there an option I need to add or is my dataset creation incorrect?

Any assistance you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Elliott

here is my code:

data my_data

(keep= Task_ID

Process_ID

Team_ID

Received_Date

Received_Time

Case_Notes

Task_Due_date

Process_Due_date

Allocation_Staff_ID

PendDate

CompletedTime

Reference_1

Reference_2

Reference_3

Reference_4

Reference_5

Reference_6

Reference_7

Reference_8

Additional_Field_1

Additional_Field_2

Additional_Field_3

Additional_Field_4

Additional_Field_5

Additional_Field_6

Additional_Field_7

Additional_Field_8

Additional_Field_9

Additional_Field_10

Additional_Field_11

Additional_Field_12

Additional_Field_13

Additional_Field_14

Additional_Field_15

Additional_Field_16

Additional_Field_17

Additional_Field_18

Additional_Field_19

Additional_Field_20

Additional_Field_21

Additional_Field_22

Additional_Field_23

Additional_Field_24

Additional_Field_25

Additional_Field_26

Additional_Field_27

Additional_Field_28

Additional_Field_29

Additional_Field_30

Additional_Field_31

Additional_Field_32);

retain

Task_ID

Process_ID

Team_ID

Received_Date

Received_Time

Case_Notes

Task_Due_date

Process_Due_date

Allocation_Staff_ID

PendDate

CompletedTime

Reference_1

Reference_2

Reference_3

Reference_4

Reference_5

Reference_6

Reference_7

Reference_8

Additional_Field_1

Additional_Field_2

Additional_Field_3

Additional_Field_4

Additional_Field_5

Additional_Field_6

Additional_Field_7

Additional_Field_8

Additional_Field_9

Additional_Field_10

Additional_Field_11

Additional_Field_12

Additional_Field_13

Additional_Field_14

Additional_Field_15

Additional_Field_16

Additional_Field_17

Additional_Field_18

Additional_Field_19

Additional_Field_20

Additional_Field_21

Additional_Field_22

Additional_Field_23

Additional_Field_24

Additional_Field_25

Additional_Field_26

Additional_Field_27

Additional_Field_28

Additional_Field_29

Additional_Field_30

Additional_Field_31

Additional_Field_32

;

format

Task_ID $16.

Process_ID $16.

Team_ID

Received_Date

Received_Time

Case_Notes

Task_Due_date

Process_Due_date

Allocation_Staff_ID

PendDate

CompletedTime

Additional_Field_1

Additional_Field_2

Additional_Field_3

Additional_Field_4

Additional_Field_5

Additional_Field_6

Additional_Field_7

Additional_Field_8

Additional_Field_9

Additional_Field_10

Additional_Field_11

Additional_Field_12

Additional_Field_13

Additional_Field_14

Additional_Field_15

Additional_Field_16

Additional_Field_17

Additional_Field_18

Additional_Field_19

Additional_Field_20

Additional_Field_21

Additional_Field_22

Additional_Field_23

Additional_Field_24

Additional_Field_25

Additional_Field_26

Additional_Field_27

Additional_Field_28

Additional_Field_29

Additional_Field_30

Additional_Field_31

Additional_Field_32 $10.

Reference_1 $18.

Reference_2 $10.

Reference_3 $50.

Reference_4 $10.

Reference_5 $10.

Reference_6 $10.

Reference_7 $10.

Reference_8 $16.

;

Task_ID ='Error_Detail';

Process_ID ='Error_Detail';

Team_ID ='Team 372 ' ;

Received_Date =' ';

Received_Time =' ';

Case_Notes =' ';

Task_Due_date =' ';

Process_Due_date =' ';

Allocation_Staff_ID =' ';

PendDate ='';

CompletedTime ='';

Reference_1 = ACCT_NBR;

Reference_2 = ' ' ;

Reference_3 = sub_client;

Reference_4 = LANG_CD_W;

Reference_5 = LANG_CD_V;

Reference_6 = language_ind;

Reference_7 = ERR_LANG_IND;

Reference_8 = 'Error_Detail';

Additional_Field_1 =' ';

Additional_Field_2 =' ';

Additional_Field_3 =' ';

Additional_Field_4 =' ';

Additional_Field_5 =' ';

Additional_Field_6 =' ';

Additional_Field_7 =' ';

Additional_Field_8 =' ';

Additional_Field_9 =' ';

Additional_Field_10 =' ';

Additional_Field_11 =' ';

Additional_Field_12 =' ';

Additional_Field_13 =' ';

Additional_Field_14 =' ';

Additional_Field_15 =' ';

Additional_Field_16 =' ';

Additional_Field_17 =' ';

Additional_Field_18 =' ';

Additional_Field_19 =' ';

Additional_Field_20 =' ';

Additional_Field_21 =' ';

Additional_Field_22 =' ';

Additional_Field_23 =' ';

Additional_Field_24 =' ';

Additional_Field_25 =' ';

Additional_Field_26 =' ';

Additional_Field_27 =' ';

Additional_Field_28 =' ';

Additional_Field_29 =' ';

Additional_Field_30 =' ';

Additional_Field_31 =' ';

Additional_Field_32 =' ';

set data_pop;

run;

proc export data=my_data

outfile="/my_path/my_directory/my_file.txt"

dbms=tab

replace;

run;

[Tom · Accepted solution]

PROC EXPORT is not the problem.  We know that works.

But I cannot figure out what you are trying to do with the data step you have before the PROC EXPORT.  And I cannot read the wall of code you posted.

Why can't you just write out the original dataset, DATA_POP?

Why do you have the data step?  What is it trying to do?

The only thing it things it could possible be doing are

1) Changing the order of the variables.

2) Changing the LENGTH of the variables (which is a side effect of your FORMAT statement appearing before the SET statement).

3) Changing the formats attached to some variables.

4) Adding some variables that do not already appear in DATA_POP and setting them to a constant value that will be retained onto every observation.

It will not add any observations that do not already appear in DATA_POP.

[Elliott]

Hello Tom,

I need to create the output text file in a specific format for uploading to a workflow queueing system.  It needs those exact variables in that order.  There are only a few fields that populate with data from data pop.  The rest are hardcoded or blank.

If I have written my data step incorrectly, what have I done wrong?  This is the first time I have had to create a file like this and am trying to learn the best way to achieve the output needed.

Thank you for your help.

Elliott

[Tom]

If the goal is just to set the variable order and add extra constant variables then you might be on the right track.  You just made the code way too complicated.

But it should have worked.

So please explain what is wrong with the output.  For example you mentioned it is excluding the last line, but your code does not exclude any lines.

[Elliott]

Hello Tom,

I was able to resolve my issues by moving the format below the set stmt in the datastep.

What could I have done to streamline the code if I have made it too complicated?

Thanks,

Elliott

[Tom]

In terms of the data step you don't need the FORMAT step at all, unless you want to just add one to REMOVE and formats that might have been attached in the source dataset.

Using a RETAIN statement to force the variable order is a normal work around.  You could reduce the typing by using variable lists for the two large series of variables with numeric suffixes.  Once you have the order defined the KEEP statement can be reduced to just using a positional variable list so you only have to type the first and last variable name.

Since you are setting some variable to constants there is no need to set a LENGTH for any of the variables. 

So perhaps something like this:

data my_data ;
  retain
    Task_ID Process_ID Team_ID Received_Date Received_Time
    Case_Notes Task_Due_date Process_Due_date Allocation_Staff_ID
    PendDate CompletedTime Reference_1-Reference_8
    Additional_Field_1-Additional_Field_32
  ;
  keep Task_ID -- Additional_Field_32;
  format _all_ ;
  set data_pop;
  Task_ID ='Error_Detail';
  Process_ID ='Error_Detail';
  Team_ID ='Team 372 ' ;
  Reference_1 = ACCT_NBR;
  Reference_3 = sub_client;
  Reference_4 = LANG_CD_W;
  Reference_5 = LANG_CD_V;
  Reference_6 = language_ind;
  Reference_7 = ERR_LANG_IND;
  Reference_8 = 'Error_Detail';
run;

[Elliott]

Thank you