No, the error is not caused by the project that builds the model. The reason is that I am able to score that exact same model if I just use my old mapping file. This old mapping file works, but has a number of problems that I won't go into much detail here. This is the reason I'm building a new mapping file.   I think I have made some progress. In my original mapping file, the character variables have a different format. If I just open the dataset and right click on the variable > Properties, this is what I get:   The format is blank.   However if I go to my new mapping file: The format is not blank and is the same as the informat.   I've found out that if I just duplicate the variable and drop the old version like so: DATA STD_Combined2; set STD_Combined; STAT_MAKE2=STAT_MAKE; run; DATA STD_Combined3; set STD_Combined2; DROP STAT_MAKE; RENAME STAT_MAKE2=STAT_MAKE; run; The format becomes blank as well (same as the informat): If I try to run the PROC PLM RESTORE now, the warning shifts to another variable of the model (STD_LOCATION): So I reckon if I just do this with every character variable used in the model, it should work...   I know this is very strange, but if anyone has a different solution I'd be glad to try it. ... View more

No, this is pretty much it... It doesn't specify the expected format   ... View more

Thanks for sharing, I had no idea it was possible to read a CSV through a data step! Would you mind elaborating on that please? PROC IMPORT is actually the standard taught in Programming 1, so I didn't know there were other ways to do that - maybe that could solve my current problem... ... View more

Thanks @Reeza  and @ballardw  for your replies!   OK so the type and format of STAT_MAKE in all of the source files is the same. It is also the same in the final, appended file:   @ballardw : what alternatives to proc import are there? ... View more

Thanks for your reply @Tom !   OK so the value for SYSVLONG is 9.04.01M5P091317   I use the PLM restore procedure in a macro, because I have half a dozen different segments to score:   %macro scoring(type,seg,optional,scoredat); proc plm restore=PARMS.&type._&optional._&seg.; score data= &scoredat. out=&type._&scoredat._Pred; /* evaluate the model on new data */ run; %mend; /*Scoring segment 1 out of 6*/ %scoring(MV,PAS,No_Outl,STD_WHK_PAS)   Yes, I'm aware of the shortcomings of Excel, but this variable is made only of characters, so I don't see how it could be converted into a numeric variable.   There is no format involved in my code for this variable - I just import the mappings (one per Excel sheet):   PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=PAS REPLACE; SHEET=PAS; RUN; PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=SUV REPLACE; SHEET=SUV; RUN; PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=PU_CC REPLACE; SHEET=PU_CC; RUN; PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=Van_Bus REPLACE; SHEET=Van_Bus; RUN; PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=Location REPLACE; SHEET=Location; RUN;PROC IMPORT DATAFILE="&INF.\NZ_STD_FILE_2021_nocount.xlsx" DBMS=XLSX OUT=Channel REPLACE; SHEET=Channel; RUN;   Then I make a quick adjustment on one of the variables and finally I append all of the mappings together:   DATA Van_Bus; SET Van_Bus; RENAME STD_Segment=Segment; run; DATA STD_Combined; Length STD_MAKE $25 STD_MODEL $40 V_MAKE $40 Segment $15 V_MODEL $40 Correct_VehicleTypeCode $2 AU_VFACT_CATEGORY $20; set Van_Bus PAS SUV PU_CC Location Channel; run;   The format statements do not involve the variable I'm having an issue with. Without these format statements, I get a warning that these variable have several lengths and that it can lead to truncation. ... View more

Wow, thank you so much, it works now! ... View more

OK, so here is the log for the solution you provided:   proc import datafile="&dataf\class_birthdate.csv" SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable DATAF resolves to "\\Work\SAS\EPG1V2_EG\data" PROCEDURE| _DISARM| STOP| _DISARM| 2021-03-25T04:08:07,323+00:00| _DISARM| WorkspaceServer| _DISARM| SAS| _DISARM| | _DISARM| 64053248| _DISARM| 32612352| _DISARM| 11| _DISARM| 19| _DISARM| 227| _DISARM| 286792913| _DISARM| 0.000000| _DISARM| 0.001000| _DISARM| 1932264487.323000| _DISARM| 1932264487.324000| _DISARM| 0.000000| _DISARM| | _ENDDISARM NOTE: PROCEDURE IMPORT used (Total process time): real time 0.00 seconds cpu time 0.00 seconds NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors. NOTE: Line generated by the macro variable "DATAF". 32 ""\\Work\SAS\EPG1V2_EG\data" _ 22 76 ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: ;, DATAFILE, DATATABLE, DBMS, DEBUG, FILE, OUT, REPLACE, TABLE, _DEBUG_. ERROR 76-322: Syntax error, statement will be ignored.   Here the error is obvious : we're getting a quadruple quote. So V2 would be:     proc import datafile=&dataf"\class_birthdate.csv" dbms=csv out=work.class_birthdate_import replace ; run; Here is the log for that V2:   32 proc import datafile=&dataf"\class_birthdate.csv" SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable DATAF resolves to "\\Work\SAS\EPG1V2_EG\data" 33 dbms=csv out=work.class_birthdate_import 34 replace 35 ; 36 run; NOTE: Unable to open parameter catalog: SASUSER.PARMS.PARMS.SLIST in update mode. Temporary parameter values will be saved to WORK.PARMS.PARMS.SLIST. ERROR: Invalid physical name.     For that V2, it is unable to find the file. So as was suggested before, I'll just add the dot (.) to join the two strings:   proc import datafile=&dataf."\class_birthdate.csv" dbms=csv out=work.class_birthdate_import replace ; run;     Here is the log for that V3:   32 proc import datafile=&dataf."\class_birthdate.csv" SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable DATAF resolves to "\\Work\SAS\EPG1V2_EG\data" 33 dbms=csv out=work.class_birthdate_import 34 replace 35 ; 36 run; NOTE: Unable to open parameter catalog: SASUSER.PARMS.PARMS.SLIST in update mode. Temporary parameter values will be saved to WORK.PARMS.PARMS.SLIST. ERROR: Invalid physical name. Same prob... ... View more

Thanks Tom. I've copied your code and pasted into my program, but no luck. I think I'm going to stay away from macro variables for now. This is so frustrating. ... View more

Thanks. I can see the problem. Not sure I can see the solution though... I've tried: CATX(&dataf,"\class_birthdate.csv") No success though ... View more

Nope. Doesn't work - here is the error message: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: ;, DATAFILE, DATATABLE, DBMS, DEBUG, FILE, OUT, REPLACE, TABLE, _DEBUG_. ... View more