Where is _DATAOUT documented

[Tom]

I saw an interesting article on this site that seems to saying you can have SAS/Studio download a file that your SAS code generates.  

But I cannot find ANY documentation on this feature and how to use it.

Try this program in SAS/Studio

%let _DATAOUT_MIME_TYPE=text/csv;
%let _DATAOUT_NAME=class.csv;

data _null_;
  file _dataout dsd ;
  set sashelp.class ;
  if _n_=1 then put 'name,age,sex';
  put name age sex;
run;

[Bari_sas]

Hi Tom!

I don’t see the fileref _dataout officially documented either. It’s part of the (voluminous) precode that is generated by default by SAS Studio.

From SAS Studio 5.2 Enterprise, if I choose options..preferences. Under “code and log” I see “Show generated SAS code in the SAS log”:

With this preference enabled, when I submit any code from SAS Studio, I see the precode in the log (with filename _DATAOUT shown here at line 20):

So the existence of that fileref helps the code that you are showing create a file that is downloaded. Here's a doc reference I am finding on the macro variables _DATAOUT_MIME_TYPE &  _DATAOUT_NAME :

https://go.documentation.sas.com/doc/en/webeditorcdc/3.6/webeditorrepodg/n0303y7wu1a1myn13kuatdwnfqd...

Let me know if this helps and if there is more information you need.

[Tom]

@Bari_sas Thanks.  I had seen that page, but I am looking for actual documentation on this file download feature.

[M_Dexter]

Hi Tom,

Thank you so much for your request.  We have added a new_DATAOUT topic to the SAS Studio documentation.

You can check it out at Exporting a File That Uses the _DATAOUT Macros.

Please let us know if you have additional feedback!

Marie

[Tom · Accepted solution]

---

@M_Dexter wrote:

Hi Tom,

Thank you so much for your request.  We have added a new_DATAOUT topic to the SAS Studio documentation.

You can check it out at Exporting a File That Uses the _DATAOUT Macros.

Please let us know if you have additional feedback!

Marie

---

Thanks.  But I am confused by the language in the document.  It talks about _DATAOUT macros, but the code does not use any macros.  Just macro variables (also called SYMBOLS in the SAS documentation).

I am also confused by the location of this document.  It is placed in the section on how to modify a repository of code.  It does not appear to me that this functionality is related to the repository feature of SAS/Studio.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions.

What is it that triggers the interface to download the file?  It seems that the trigger is the use of the _DATAOUT fileref.

Can the user redirect the _DATAOUT fileref to some existing file and have the system download that file?

[david_hou]

Is there a way of uploading local file into Viya server, similar to this _Dataout way? Otherwise we have to use FTP tools to save to the server first, then use the proc import. It would be very helpful and convenient if a similar approach is available to upload local file directly into Viya / Studio server.

[david_hou]

Is there a way of uploading local file into Viya server, similar to this _Dataout way? Otherwise we have to use FTP tools to save to the server first, then use the proc import. It would be very helpful and convenient if a similar approach is available to upload local file directly into Viya / Studio server.

[Bari_sas]

To address the following question:

Is there a way of uploading local file into Viya server, similar to this _Dataout way? Otherwise we have to use FTP tools to save to the server first, then use the proc import. It would be very helpful and convenient if a similar approach is available to upload local file directly into Viya / Studio server.

There is not an automated process that makes local files from your client PC available to the SAS Viya server. I suggest the following blog as a resource:

https://blogs.sas.com/content/sgf/2022/02/14/where-are-the-files-that-you-have-access-to-through-sas...

..and if you have follow up questions I would be happy to address them via a tracking entry opened to Technical Support. This will help us have a direct dialog if I need more information about your Viya environment.