PROC IMPORT
DATAFILE="filename"
OUT=<libref.>SAS data-set <(SAS data-set-options)>
<DBMS=identifier><REPLACE>
;
|
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DATAFILE="filename"
-
specifies the complete path and filename
or fileref for the input PC file, spreadsheet, or delimited external file.
A fileref is a SAS name that is associated with the physical location of the
output file. To assign a fileref, use the FILENAME statement. If you specify
a fileref or if the complete path and filename does not include special characters
such as the backslash in a path, lowercase characters, or spaces, then you
can omit the quotation marks. For more information about the FILENAME statement,
see
SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. For more information about PC file formats, see
SAS/ACCESS Interface to PC Files: Reference.
Restriction: |
The IMPORT procedure does not support
device types or access methods for the FILENAME statement except for DISK.
For example, the IMPORT procedure does not support the TEMP device type, which
creates a temporary external file. |
Restriction: |
When you use a fileref
to specify a delimited file to import, the logical record length (LRECL) defaults
to 256 unless you specify the LRECL in the filename statement. The maximum
LRECL width that the IMPORT procedure supports is 32767. |
Restriction: |
The IMPORT procedure can import
data only if SAS supports the data type. SAS supports numeric and character
types of data but not ( for example, binary objects). If the data that you
want to import is a type that SAS does not support, the IMPORT procedure might
not be able to import it correctly. In many cases, the procedure attempts
to convert the data to the best of its ability. However, conversion is not
possible for some types. |
Interaction: |
For delimited files,
the first 20 rows are scanned to determine the variable attributes. You can
increase the number of rows scanned by using the GUESSINGROWS data source
statement. For more information, see Data Source Statements. All values are read in as character
strings. If a Date and Time format or numeric informat can be applied to the
data value, the type will be declared as numeric. Otherwise, the type remains
character. |
Featured in: |
Importing a Delimited External File, Importing a Specific Delimited File Using a Fileref,
Importing a Tab-Delimited File, and
Importing a Comma-Delimited File with a CSV Extension |
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OUT=<libref.>SAS-data-set
-
identifies the output SAS data set with
either a one or two-level SAS name (library and member name). If the specified
SAS data set does not exist, the IMPORT procedure creates it. If you specify
a one-level name, by default the IMPORT procedure uses either the USER library
(if assigned) or the WORK library (if USER is not assigned).
- (SAS-data-set-options)
-
specifies SAS data set options. For example, to assign a
password to the resulting SAS data set, you can use the ALTER=, PW=, READ=,
or WRITE= data set option. To import only data that meets a specified condition,
you can use the WHERE= data set option. For information about SAS data set
options, see "Data Set Options" in SAS Language Reference: Dictionary
SAS Language Reference: Dictionary.
Restriction: |
You cannot specify data set options
when importing delimited, comma-separated, or tab-delimited external files. |
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DBMS=identifier
-
specifies the type of data to import. Valid
identifiers for delimited files are CSV, DLM, JMP, and CSV. To import a tab-delimited
file, specify TAB as the identifier. To import any other delimited file that
does not end in .CSV, specify DLM as the identifier. For a comma-separated
file with a .CSV extension, DBMS= is optional. The IMPORT procedure recognizes
.CSV as an extension for a comma-separated file.
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REPLACE
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overwrites an existing SAS data set. If
you do not specify the REPLACE option, the IMPORT procedure does not overwrite
an existing data set.
Copyright © 2010 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.