Unable to open a file with + in the name

[Tom]

I tried to open a file in SAS studio from a folder on the server where the filename contained a + sign as part of the filename.  It said that it could not find the file and showed a filename with the + sign removed.

This looks like an old feature of SAS/Intrnet where + were stripped from values.

Is there a work around for this?  Or am I forced to rename the file on the server before the SAS/Studio interface will let me edit it?

[FreelanceReinh]

Hi @Tom,

If it's a Windows server, you could try to use the 8.3 file name (like PROGRA~1 for "Program Files"). The DOS command dir /x displays these names along with the usual names.

[Tom]

It is Unix server, but even if it where a Windows server I don't think that SAS/Studio would display the 8.3 name for me to click on.

[LinusH]

I can't find any notes on this issue, so I suggest that you open a track to SAS tech support.

[RW9]

Am wondering why you would have special characters in a path/filename?  There are some general rules of thumb that have been around for a long time - don't use spaces or special characters in paths/filenames being one of those.

[Tom]

The file already exists and I just want to use the GUI to select it and edit.

This particular file is just a list of documentation of the files in the directory that I have been using for a long time. There are normally two of these files. _dir.sas which has one line per macro with the name and description and _dir+.sas which groups the individual macros into groups of related macros.  So the + sign indicates that it is the value-added version of the basic file.

[rshannonsmith_SAS]

HI @Tom, What version of SAS Studio are you using?

[Tom]

Release: 3.4 (Enterprise Edition)

Supported browsers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, 10, 11
• Mozilla Firefox 21+
• Google Chrome 27+
• Apple Safari 6.0+ (on Apple OS X)

Build date: Jun 25, 2015 12:44:07 AM
SAS Mid-tier release: May 27, 2015 7:00:00 PM
SAS release: 9.04.01M3P06242015
SAS platform: Linux LIN X64 2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64

[rshannonsmith_SAS]

Hi @Tom,

We took a look at this in SAS Studio 3.4 and SAS Studio 3.5. Opening a program with a + in the name is not supported in either version, along with a set of other characters. I have recommend that consideration be made for a change in behavior to allow for the use of the + in a future SAS Studio release.

I checked the doc, too. I did not find a list of characters that are prohibited, other than a list of characters that are prohibited in FTP names; see the Using the Navigation Pane section in the Using SAS Studio section of the SAS Studio User's Guide for that list. I am recommending that the doc be updated to give the limitations of the Server Files and Folders tree.

At this point, for your version of SAS Studio, I do not have a work-around to offer other than renaming the file.

I wish I could have come back with better news.

-Shannon