Ok reading and processing flat files not databases or sas-datasets. That is an important pre-req. Processing a flat file (searching) is possible when you define a view to that SAS(R) 9.4 Language Reference: Concepts, Fifth Edition Updating flat-files in place (record oriented) is possible. 24782 - Update an external file in place Dropping records however is not possible with flat file processing. You can read it all and create a new one. PDSE or using a GDG - batch processing. What environment are you? Is that a/ Mainframe and which b/ sas release you are using c/ using classical bound data set or a HFS approach? What is the sizing of those flat files (no records/vars) , should it run interactively or only in batch When rewriting the flat files and performance is not a problem you can read/convert them to SAS sort as you like with an ordering indicator (making _n_ permanent) reorder back (sort) before writing out. That is the most easy understandable coding.
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