Language Reference


External Files Functions

DROPNOTE

deletes a note marker from a SAS data set or an external file and returns a value

ENVLEN

returns the length of an environment variable

EXIST

verifies the existence of a SAS data library member

FAPPEND

appends the current record to the end of an external file and returns a value

FCLOSE

closes an external file, directory, or directory member, and returns a value

FCOL

returns the current column position in the File Data Buffer (FDB)

FDELETE

deletes an external file or an empty directory

FEXIST

verifies the existence of an external file associated with a fileref and returns a value

FGET

copies data from the File Data Buffer (FDB) into a variable and returns a value

FILEEXIST

verifies the existence of an external file by its physical name and returns a value

FILENAME

assigns or deassigns a fileref for an external file, directory, or output device and returns a value

FILEREF

verifies that a fileref has been assigned for the current SAS session and returns a value

FINFO

returns the value of a file information item

FNOTE

identifies the last record that was read and returns a value that FPOINT can use

FOPEN

opens an external file and returns a file identifier value

FOPTNAME

returns the name of an item of information about a file

FOPTNUM

returns the number of information items that are available for an external file

FPOINT

positions the read pointer on the next record to be read and returns a value

FPOS

sets the position of the column pointer in the File Data Buffer (FDB) and returns a value

FPUT

moves data to the File Data Buffer (FDB) of an external file, starting at the FDB’s current column position, and returns a value

FREAD

reads a record from an external file into the File Data Buffer (FDB) and returns a value

FREWIND

positions the file pointer to the start of the file and returns a value

FRLEN

returns the size of the last record read, or, if the file is opened for output, returns the current record size

FSEP

sets the token delimiters for the FGET function and returns a value

FWRITE

writes a record to an external file and returns a value

MODEXIST

returns whether a software image exists in the version of SAS that you have installed

MOPEN

opens a file by directory identifier and member name, and returns the file identifier or a 0

MVALID

returns whether a character string is valid for use as a SAS member name

PATHNAME

returns the physical name of a SAS data library or of an external file, or returns a blank

SYSMSG

returns the text of error messages or warning messages from the last data set or external file function execution

SYSPROD

returns whether a product is licensed

SYSRC

returns a system error number