SAS Data Set Options

ALTER= Data Set Option

Assigns an ALTER password to a SAS file that prevents users from replacing or deleting the file, and enables access to a read- and write-protected file.

Valid in:	DATA step and PROC steps
Category:	Data Set Control
See:	ALTER= Data Set Option under OpenVMS UNIX z/OS

Syntax
Syntax Description
Details
See Also

Syntax

ALTER=alter-password

Syntax Description

alter-password: must be a valid SAS name. See Rules for Words and Names in the SAS Language in SAS Language Reference: Concepts.

Details

The ALTER= option applies to all types of SAS files except catalogs. You can use this option to assign a password to a SAS file or to access a read-protected, write-protected, or alter-protected SAS file.

When replacing a SAS data set that is protected with an ALTER password, the new data set inherits the ALTER password. To change the ALTER password for the new data set, use the MODIFY statement in the DATASETS procedure.

Note: A SAS password does not control access to a SAS file beyond the SAS system. You should use the operating system-supplied utilities and file-system security controls in order to control access to SAS files outside of SAS. [cautionend]