Functions and CALL Routines

ATTRC Function

Returns the value of a character attribute for a SAS data set.

Category:

SAS File I/O

Syntax
Arguments
Examples
See Also

returns an empty string if the data set is sorted on the native computer or if the sort collating sequence is the default for the operating environment. Otherwise, it returns the name of the alternate collating sequence used to sort the file.

TYPE

returns the SAS data set type.

Examples

This example generates a message if the SAS data set has not been opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL mode. The message is written to the SAS log as follows:
```
%let mode=%sysfunc(attrc(&dsid,MODE));
%if &mode ne IS %then
   %put Data set has not been opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL mode.;
```

This example tests whether a data set has been sorted and writes the result to the SAS log.

data _null_;
   dsid=open("sasdata.sortcars","i");
   charset=attrc(dsid,"CHARSET");
   if charset = "" then
      put "Data set has not been sorted.";
   else put "Data set sorted with " charset 
            "character set.";
   rc=close(dsid);
run;

empty string	Data set not sorted
ASCII	ASCII character set
EBCDIC	EBCDIC character set
ANSI	OS/2 ANSI standard ASCII character set
OEM	OS/2 OEM code format

I	INPUT mode allows random access if the engine supports it. Otherwise, it defaults to IN mode.
IN	INPUT mode reads sequentially and allows revisiting observations.
IS	INPUT mode reads sequentially but does not allow revisiting observations.
N	NEW mode creates a new data set.
U	UPDATE mode allows random access if the engine supports it. Otherwise, it defaults to UN mode.
UN	UPDATE mode reads sequentially and allows revisiting observations.
US	UPDATE mode reads sequentially but does not allow revisiting observations.
V	UTILITY mode allows modification of variable attributes and indexes associated with the data set.

Empty string	Data set is not sorted.
WEAK	Sort order of the data set was established by the user (for example, through the SORTEDBY data set option). The system cannot validate its correctness, so the order of observations cannot be depended on.
STRONG	Sort order of the data set was established by the software (for example, through PROC SORT or the OUT= option in the CONTENTS procedure).

ATTRC Function

Syntax

Arguments