REPEMPTY= Data Set Option
Specifies whether a new, empty data set can overwrite
an existing SAS data set that has the same name.
| Valid in: |
DATA step and PROC steps |
| Category: |
Data Set Control |
| Restriction: |
Use with output data sets only. |
Syntax
Syntax Description
- YES
-
specifies that a new
empty data set with a given name replaces an existing data set with
the same name. This is the default.
Interaction:When REPEMPTY=YES and REPLACE=NO, then the data
set is not replaced.
- NO
-
specifies that a new
empty data set with a given name does not replace an existing data
set with the same name.
Tips:Use REPEMPTY=NO to prevent the following syntax error
from replacing the existing data set B with the new empty data set
B that is created by mistake:
data mylib.a set b;
For both the convenience of replacing existing data sets
with new ones that contain data and the protection of not overwriting
existing data sets with new empty ones that are created by accident,
set REPLACE=YES and REPEMPTY=NO.
Comparisons
-
For an individual data set, the
REPEMPTY= data set option overrides the REPEMPTY= option in the LIBNAME
statement.
-
The REPEMPTY= and REPLACE= data
set options apply to both permanent and temporary SAS data sets. The
REPLACE system option, however, only applies to permanent SAS data
sets.