BL_FORMAT_OPT= Data Set Option

Specifies format options for bulk loading CSV files.

Valid in: DATA and PROC steps (when accessing DBMS data using SAS/ACCESS software)
Categories: Bulk Loading
Data Set Control
Default: None
Restriction: Do not specify the COMPRESSION, ESCAPE, or FIELD_DELIMITER options with BL_FORMAT_OPT=. Specify those options with the BL_COMPRESS=, BL_USE_ESCAPE=, and BL_DELIMITER= data set options, respectively.
Requirements: [Snowflake] To specify this option, you must also specify BULKLOAD=YES.
[Spark] To specify this option, you must also specify BULKUNLOAD=YES.
Data source: Snowflake, Spark
Notes: Support for this option was added in SAS 9.4M8.
Support for Spark was added in SAS 9.4M9.
See: BL_COMPRESS= data set option, BL_DELIMITER= data set option, BL_USE_ESCAPE= data set option, BULKLOAD= data set option, BULKLOAD= LIBNAME option , BULKUNLOAD= data set option, BULKUNLOAD= LIBNAME option
Example: 
data mylibref.mytable (bulkload=yes 
                       bl_format_opt="FIELD_OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY='0X27'");
set sashelp.class;
run;

Table of Contents

Syntax

Required Argument

value

specifies format options or option-value pairs for CSV files. Separate multiple options or option-value pairs with a space.

Details

Spark: This option is used when the Spark engine bulk loads data in Databricks. For more information, see Bulk Loading and Unloading to Databricks in Azure.

Last updated: February 3, 2026