FILE Statement

identifies an external file that the DATA step uses to write output from a PUT statement. File-specification can have these forms:

specifies the type of device or the access method that is used if the fileref points to an input or output device or a location that is not a physical file.

infile dummy ftp user='myuid' pass='xxxx' filevar=file_to_read;

specifies the block size of the output file.

specifies a variable that SAS automatically sets to the current column location of the pointer. This variable, like automatic variables, is not written to the data set.

specifies an alternate delimiter (other than blank) to be used for LIST output, where delimiter can be one of these items:

specifies a parsing option for the DLMSTR=T option that removes trailing blanks of the string delimiter.

specifies a character string as an alternate delimiter (other than a blank) to be used for LIST output, where delimiter can be one of these items:

discards data items that exceed the output line length (as specified by the LINESIZE= option or LRECL= option in the FILE statement).

By default, data that exceeds the current line length is written on a new line. When you specify DROPOVER, SAS drops (or ignores) an entire item when there is not enough space in the current line to write it. When an entire item is dropped, the column pointer remains positioned after the last value that is written in the current line. Thus, the PUT statement might write other items in the current output line if they fit in the space that remains or if the column pointer is repositioned. When a data item is dropped, the DATA step continues normal execution (_ERROR_=0). At the end of the DATA step, a message is printed for each file from which data was lost.

specifies that data values that contain embedded delimiters, such as tabs or commas, be enclosed in quotation marks. The DSD option enables you to write data values that contain embedded delimiters to LIST output. This option is ignored for other types of output (for example, formatted, column, and named). Any double quotation marks that are included in the data value are repeated. When a variable value contains the delimiter and DSD is used in the FILE statement, the variable value is enclosed in double quotation marks when the output is generated. For example:

data _null_;
  file log dsd;
  x='"lions, tigers, and bears"';
  put x ' "Oh, my!"';
run;

The program writes this line to the SAS log:

"""lions, tigers, and bears""", "Oh, my!"

If a quoted (text) string contains the delimiter and DSD is used in the FILE statement, then the quoted string is not enclosed in double quotation marks when used in a PUT statement. For example:

data _null_;
  file log dsd;
  put 'lions, tigers, and bears';
run;

The program writes this line to the SAS log:

lions, tigers, and bears

specifies the encoding to use when writing to the output file. The value for ENCODING= indicates that the output file has a different encoding from the current session encoding.

When you write data to the output file, SAS transcodes the data from the session encoding to the specified encoding.

defines a character variable, whose name you supply, that SAS sets to the value of the physical name of the file currently open for PUT statement output. The physical name is how the operating environment recognizes the file.

defines a variable whose change in value causes the FILE statement to close the current output file and open a new one the next time the FILE statement executes. The next PUT statement that executes writes to the new file that is specified as the value of the FILEVAR= variable.

causes data that exceeds the current line length to be written on a new line. When a PUT statement attempts to write beyond the maximum allowed line length (as specified by the LINESIZE= option in the FILE statement), the current output line is written to the file and the data item that exceeds the current line length is written to a new line.

controls whether currently defined footnotes are printed.

defines a statement label that identifies a group of SAS statements that you want to execute each time SAS begins a new output page.

defines a variable whose value is the current relative line number within the group of lines available to the output pointer. You supply the variable name and SAS automatically assigns the value.

sets the maximum number of columns per line for reports and the maximum record length for data files.

defines a variable whose value is the number of lines left on the current page. You supply the variable name and SAS assigns the value of the number of lines left on the current page to that variable. The value of the LINESLEFT= variable is set at the end of PUT statement execution.

specifies the logical record length of the output file.

specifies a file to open. When a directory fileref or physical name is provided in the FILE statement, the file that is referred to in the MEMVAR= variable is opened. When the value of the MEMVAR= variable changes, the current file is closed and the new file is opened.

writes the output lines after any existing lines in the file.

specifies the number of lines that you want available to the output pointer in the current iteration of the DATA step. Available-lines can be expressed as a number (n) or as the keyword PAGESIZE or PS.

specifies to use the Output Delivery System to format the output from a DATA step. This option defines the structure of the data component and holds the results of the DATA step and binds that component to a table definition to produce an output object. ODS sends this object to all open ODS destinations, each of which formats the output appropriately. For information about the ODS-suboptions and the Output Delivery System, see FILE Statement: ODS in SAS Output Delivery System: User’s Guide.

replaces the previous contents of the file.

controls whether records written to an external file are padded with blanks to the length that is specified in the LRECL= option.

sets the number of lines per page for your reports.

controls whether carriage-control characters are placed in the output lines.

specifies the record format of the output file.

stops processing the DATA step immediately if a PUT statement attempts to write a data item that exceeds the current line length. In such a case, SAS discards the data item that exceeds the current line length, writes the portion of the line that was built before the error occurred, and issues an error message.

controls the printing of the current title lines on the pages of files. When NOTITLES is omitted or when TITLES is specified, SAS prints any titles that are currently defined.

names a character variable that references the current output buffer of this FILE statement. You can use the variable in the same way as any other variable, even as the target of an assignment. The variable is automatically retained and initialized to blanks. Like automatic variables, the _FILE_= variable is not written to the data set.