The CIMPORT procedure imports a transport file that was created (exported) by the CPORT procedure. PROC CIMPORT restores the transport file to its original form as a SAS catalog, SAS data set, or SAS library. Transport files are sequential files that each contain a SAS library, a SAS catalog, or a SAS data set in transport format. The transport format that PROC CPORT writes is the same for all environments and for many releases of SAS.

PROC CIMPORT also converts SAS files, which means that it changes the format of a SAS file from the SAS format appropriate for one version of SAS to the SAS format appropriate for another version. For example, you can use PROC CPORT and PROC CIMPORT to move files from earlier releases of SAS to more recent releases (for example, from SAS 6 to SAS^®9) or between the same versions (for example, from one SAS 9 operating environment to another SAS 9 operating environment). PROC CIMPORT automatically converts the transport file as it imports it.

However, PROC CPORT and PROC CIMPORT do not allow file transport from a later version to an earlier version, which is known as regressing (for example, from SAS^® 9 to SAS 6).

PROC CIMPORT produces no output, but it does write notes to the SAS log.

Here is the process to create a transport file at the source computer and to read it at a target computer:

For complete details about the steps to create a transport file (PROC CPORT), to transfer the transport file, and to restore the transport file (PROC CIMPORT), see Moving and Accessing SAS Files.