The IMPORT Procedure

Example 1: Importing a Delimited External File

Procedure features:

The IMPORT procedure statement arguments:

	DATAFILE=
	OUT=
	DBMS=
	REPLACE

Data source statements:

	DELIMITER=
	GETNAMES=

Other features:

PRINT procedure

This example imports the following delimited external file and creates a temporary SAS data set named WORK.MYDATA:

Region&State&Month&Expenses&Revenue
Southern&GA&JAN2001&2000&8000
Southern&GA&FEB2001&1200&6000
Southern&FL&FEB2001&8500&11000
Northern&NY&FEB2001&3000&4000
Northern&NY&MAR2001&6000&5000
Southern&FL&MAR2001&9800&13500
Northern&MA&MAR2001&1500&1000

Program

proc import datafile="C:\My Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt" out=mydata   dbms=dlm    replace;
delimiter='&';
 getnames=yes;
run;
options nodate ps=60 ls=80;

proc print data=mydata;
run;

SAS Log

The SAS log displays information about the successful import. For this example, the IMPORT procedure generates a SAS DATA step, as shown in the partial log that follows.

/**********************************************************************
79    *   PRODUCT:   SAS
80    *   VERSION:   9.00
81    *   CREATOR:   External File Interface
82    *   DATE:      24JAN02
83    *   DESC:      Generated SAS DATA step code
84    *   TEMPLATE SOURCE:  (None Specified.)
85    ***********************************************************************/
86       data MYDATA                                      ;
87      %let _EFIERR_ = 0; /* set the ERROR detection macro variable */
88       infile 'C:\My Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt' delimiter = '&' MISSOVER
88 !  DSD lrecl=32767 firstobs=2 ;
89          informat Region $8. ;
90          informat State $2. ;
91          informat Month $7. ;
92          informat Expenses best32. ;
93          informat Revenue best32. ;
94          format Region $8. ;
95          format State $2. ;
96          format Month $7. ;
97          format Expenses best12. ;
98          format Revenue best12. ;
99       input
100                  Region $
101                  State $
102                  Month $
103                  Expenses
104                  Revenue
105      ;
106      if _ERROR_ then call symput('_EFIERR_',1);  /* set ERROR detection
106! macro variable */
107      run;

NOTE: Numeric values have been converted to character
      values at the places given by: (Line):(Column).
      106:44
NOTE: The infile 'C:\My Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt' is:
      Filename=C:\My Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt,
      RECFM=V,LRECL=32767

NOTE: 7 records were read from the infile 'C:\My
      Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt'.
      The minimum record length was 29.
      The maximum record length was 31.
NOTE: The data set WORK.MYDATA has 7 observations and 5 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.04 seconds
      cpu time            0.05 seconds


7 rows created in MYDATA                                    from C:\My
Documents\myfiles\delimiter.txt.



NOTE: .MYDATA was successfully created.

Output

This output lists the output data set, MYDATA, created by the IMPORT procedure from the delimited external file.

                              The SAS System                                

      Obs    Region      State    Month          Expenses         Revenue

       1     Southern     GA      JAN2001            2000            8000
       2     Southern     GA      FEB2001            1200            6000
       3     Southern     FL      FEB2001            8500           11000
       4     Northern     NY      FEB2001            3000            4000
       5     Northern     NY      MAR2001            6000            5000
       6     Southern     FL      MAR2001            9800           13500
       7     Northern     MA      MAR2001            1500            1000

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