CARDIMAGE System Option
Specifies whether SAS processes source and data
lines as 80-byte cards.
| Valid in: |
Configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS
System Options window
|
| Category: |
Input control: Data processing |
| PROC OPTIONS GROUP= |
INPUTCONTROL |
| Operating environment: |
CARDIMAGE is generally used in the z/OS operating
environment; NOCARDIMAGE is used in other operating environments.
|
| Note: |
This option can be restricted by a site administrator. For more information,
see Restricted Options. |
| See: |
CARDIMAGE System Option under z/OS |
Syntax
Syntax Description
- CARDIMAGE
-
specifies that SAS
source and data lines be processed as if they were punched card images—all
exactly 80 bytes long and padded with blanks. That is, column 1 of
a line is treated as if it immediately followed column 80 of the previous
line. Therefore, tokens can
be split across lines. (A token is
a character or series of characters that SAS treats as a discrete
word.)
Strings in quotation
marks (literal tokens) that begin on one line and end on another are
treated as if they contained blanks out to column 80 of the first
line. Data lines longer than 80 bytes are split into two or more 80-byte
lines. Data lines are not truncated regardless of their length.
- NOCARDIMAGE
-
specifies that SAS
source and data lines not be treated as if they were 80-byte card
images. When NOCARDIMAGE is in effect, the end of a line is always
treated as the end of the last token, except for strings in quotation
marks. Strings in quotation marks can be split across lines. Other
types of tokens cannot be split across lines under any circumstances.
Strings in quotation marks that are split across lines are not padded
with blanks.
Example
Consider the following
DATA step:
data;
x='A
B';
run;
If CARDIMAGE is in effect,
the variable X receives a value that consists of 78 characters: the
A, 76 blanks, and the B. If NOCARDIMAGE is in effect, the variable
X receives a value that consists of two characters: AB, with no intervening
blanks.