SYSEXIST Function

Returns a value that indicates whether an operating-environment variable exists in your environment.

Categories:	SAS File I/O
	Special

Syntax

SYSEXIST (argument)

Required Argument

argument

specifies a character variable that is the name of an operating-environment variable that you want to test.

Details

The SYSEXIST function searches for the existence of an operating-environment variable and returns 1 if the variable is found or 0 if the variable is not found.

Comparisons

The SYSEXIST function tests for the existence of an operating-environment variable. The SYSGET function retrieves the value of an operating-environment variable.

Example

The following example assumes that HOME is a valid operating-environment variable in your environment, and that TEST is not valid. SYSEXIST tests both values:

data _null_;
   rc=sysexist("HOME");
   put rc=;
   rc=sysexist("TEST");
   put rc=;
run;

SAS writes the following output to the log:

rc=1
rc=0

If SYSEXIST returns a value of 1, then the variable that is being tested is an operating-environment variable. If SYSEXIST returns a value of 0, then the variable that is being tested is not an operating-environment variable in your environment.